The scientific family name for dugongs and their closest relatives, using the Linnaean taxonomic classification system.
From 'dugong' plus the Latin suffix '-idae,' which denotes a biological family in scientific nomenclature. This follows the standard system of naming animal families established by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century.
Scientists use Latin suffixes like '-idae' to create a universal language that works in every country—a biologist in Brazil and one in Japan discussing Dugongidae know exactly which animals they mean, without translation! It's one of science's greatest organizational tools.
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