A type specimen is an example of the species chosen to act as a reference point for the scientific name. Synonyms for type specimens include holotype, lectotype, neotype, and isotype. A holotype is the name-bearing specimen used to describe a species. A lectotype is a unique specimen selected from the original material to serve as a definitive type. A neotype is a specimen designated to serve as the type when none of the original material relating to a species can be found. An isotype is a duplicate of the original holotype, collected at the same time and place. These different types specimens play an important role in taxonomy and the naming of new species.