At present, the innovative techniques of DNA analysis allow us to determine the identity and the family relationship between species. The measure of similarity or difference between the DNA of different species is known as genetic distance and allows us to understand the degree of relationship between species.

The rules of scientific nomenclature are specified in five codes: animals (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ), plants (International Code of Botanical Nomenclature), cultivated plants (International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants ), bacteria (International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria ) and viruses (International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses).

Subspecies. Subspecies, varieties, species or geographical races are emerging species, i.e. species in formation. They possess features of anatomy, physiology or behavior, normally appropriate to the environment in which they live, but which differ from the average characteristics of the species to which they belong. For example, the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the smallest subspecies of gray wolf (Canis lupus). In scientific classification these are distinguished by a third name that designates the subspecies.

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