Which of the following is the correct taxonomic name for the African forest elephant?

• A. loxodonta cyclotis
• B. Loxodonta Cyclotis
• C. Loxodonta Cyclotis
• D. Loxodonta cyclotis
• E. Loxodonta cyclotis

Answer: (E)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the rules of scientific nomenclature: In biological classification, the scientific name of a species is composed of two parts - the genus name and the species name. The genus name is always capitalized, while the species name is not.
2. Identify the genus and species: For the African forest elephant, the genus is 'Loxodonta' and the species is 'cyclotis'.
3. Apply the capitalization rule: The genus name 'Loxodonta' should be capitalized, and the species name 'cyclotis' should be in lowercase.
4. Check for italics: In scientific writing, the entire scientific name should be italicized to indicate its Latin origin. However, in plain text, italics may not be used, but capitalization rules must still be followed.
5. Select the correct option: Based on the rules of scientific nomenclature, the correct taxonomic name for the African forest elephant is 'Loxodonta cyclotis', with the genus capitalized and the species in lowercase.