"Morph", where does the term come from?

My initial introduction to this term came from science fiction where it was more commonly used as a verb. But, I am intrigued why it is used in captive herpetology.

Where did the use begin? Why "morph" and not "mutation"?

Aren't morphs mutations?

Is it short for a longer word?

From Webster's New World College: -morphic combining form forming adjectives having a (specified) form or shape [idiomorphic].?

From Dictionary.com:

morph Pronunciation Key (môrf)
n.

One of various distinct forms of an organism or species.

The word morph itself, in Webster:

Morph:
2 a : a local population of a species that consists of interbreeding organisms and is distinguishable from other populations by morphology or behavior though capable of interbreeding with them
b : a phenotypic variant of a species

Morphology:
1 a : a branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of animals and plants
b : the form and structure of an organism or any of its parts

Different forms (shapes/sizes/colors/patterns/etc) = different morphs.

Aren't morphs mutations?

In the general sense a mutation is a change. In the more specific genetic sense a mutation is a changed gene, and I think that is what is generally meant by "mutation." Some morphs are based on a specific genetic mutation or combination of mutations. IMO they can also be aptly called "mutants."

But other morphs are also based on selective breeding, which would be the accumulation of groups of genes, and there can be different genes causing similar looks in specimens of the same morph. So same morph does not necessarily mean the same underlying mutations.

Rich often uses the alternative "cultivar," which I think came from plants and is abbreviated from "cultivated variation." IMO it's interchangeable with morph.

"a local population of a species that consists of interbreeding organisms "

Interbreeding produced all the morphs you know and love. Maybe thats how it first got started?

So Serp, what do you think the market would be for "mutants"?

X-Geckos

Originally Posted by coyote

My initial introduction to this term came from science fiction where it was more commonly used as a verb. But, I am intrigued why it is used in captive herpetology.

Where did the use begin? Why "morph" and not "mutation"?

Aren't morphs mutations?

Is it short for a longer word?

From Webster's New World College: -morphic combining form forming adjectives having a (specified) form or shape [idiomorphic].?

Morph means "shaped." From the Greek root "morphe" = "form."