Ecotype
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An ecotype is a distinct entity of an animal, plant, or other organism that is closely linked (in its characteristics) to the ecological surroundings it inhabits. For example it is commonly accepted that the Tucuxi dolphin has two ecotypes - the riverine ecotype found in some South American rivers and the pelagic ecotype found in the South Atlantic Ocean. Similarly, it is accepted that the Bottlenose Dolphin has two ecotypes in the North Atlantic Ocean.
The term ecotype was coined in 1922 by Swedish botanist Gote Turesson.
An ecotype, as such, has no formal taxonomic standing: also see chemotype.
