Pelage.—It was found advisable to use a standardized nomenclature for hairs. The names here proposed are a choice of those used in the literature, with the suffix "form" as an element of uniformity. I feel that it would be advantageous if everyone adopted a similar universal system in mammalogy.
The names listed below are used as nouns and are considered as English versions which could easily be adapted to different languages. These names may be complemented with adjectives as needed. Examples are lanceolate aristiforms, spinous aristiforms, and woolly setiforms.
Aristiforms: The most conspicuously developed hairs in a three-layered pelage or the corresponding hairs in a simpler pelage. Names previously used for these hairs are: guard hair, leithaar and jarre.
Setiforms: Common to all species and most numerous throughout the pelage; second in conspicuousness, being the dominant hairs in the middle layer. Synonyms are: over hairs, grannenhaare and soies.
Villiforms: The smallest hairs in the three-layered pelage. Synonyms are: underfur, wollhaar and duvet.
Vibrissiforms: The vibrissae proper, or any typically sensory hair.
Teeth.—The tritubercular nomenclature was abandoned because of overwhelming difficulties; more research on the Hystricomorpha is certainly needed before the tritubercular nomenclature can be applied with confidence. The following names are used for features of the molariform teeth:
Main fold: The inner or lingual fold in the upper molariform teeth and outer or labial fold in the lower molariform teeth.
Counterfold: Any outer or labial fold in the upper or any inner or lingual fold in the lower molariform teeth.