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How is the scientific name Canis lupus organized?

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A nautilus mollusk with a spiral, brown-and-white striped shell and numerous white tentacles extending from its soft body, set against a dark background. — species A nautilus (*Nautilus*) floating in the water column of the ocean.

The scientific name Canis lupus is organized according to the Linnaean system of binomial nomenclature, which uses two Latinized words to identify an organism.1

In this system:
* Genus: The first word, Canis, represents the genus to which the organism belongs. By convention, the genus name is always capitalized.2
* Species: The second word, lupus, identifies the specific species within that genus.12

This method of classification was established by Carolus Linnaeus in the 18th century to provide a standardized way to name and categorize living things.12