Zōophyton: una parola per l’intermedio tra l’animale e la pianta nella scala naturae.

ZŌOPHyTON: A WORD FOR THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL BETWEEN ANIMALS AND PLANTS IN THE SCALA NATURAE. The use of the word zōophyton is relatively late in Antiquity. Despite Aristotle not employing this term, its technical meaning is specific to commentaries of Aristotle’s works, and especially among authors who refer to Aristotelian characteristic loci and distinctions. Aristotle preferred to use different words and phrases to express the underlying concept, i.e., the intermediate or mixed being between animals and plants. The word zōophyton, after various vicissitudes, in both literary and scientific works, has now ceased to be used in zoological nomenclature. And yet strange creatures are still observed. They are not seen as animals or plants, and this has forced scientists and naturalists to rethink traditional ways of classifying living organisms.