[melaniejs (OP)]

Jim asks:

Are the unique names for multiples of animals useful, or are they like flamboyant powdered wigs?

What do you think?

[Bored chemist]

Are the unique names for multiples of animals useful

What do you mean?

[evan_au]

Do you mean the system of have two names (usually derived from Latin) for every species?
- This system was invented by Carl Linnaeus
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binomial_nomenclature

This system was useful in bringing some order to the chaotic naming of species
- And helping to promote the skills of Taxonomy

Now, with genetic analysis, we are able to probe much deeper into the murky genetic past of organisms, and some of the previous taxonomic classifications are being updated
- And we are finding that local subspecies and inter-species hybrids are quite common, so that the previously sharp species boundaries are becoming more blurry

But I think that giving a short species name is easier than quoting the entire DNA sequence of an individual...
- And it gives biologists a way of recognising contributions in biology and other fields...

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisms_named_after_famous_people

[Halc]

I think he means 'pod' of whales, 'gaggle' of geese, etc.

Edit: I had spelled geese as 'geeze'.  OK, fixed that, but what you you call a group of geezers?

[Origin]

Like a murder of crows?  I love that one.

[Bored chemist]

If it wasn't useful to whoever named them, why would they have bothered?

[evan_au]

Rather than remember all these irregular collective nouns, you could also just use a generic "group of ..." - only it is much less colorful!

How about a swarm of earthquakes?

See: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_collective_nouns_by_collective_term

[Bored chemist]

When living in London I came to the conclusion that the collective noun for tourists is "clot".
But I'm still not sure if that's what the OP is on about.

[Monox D. I-Fly]

Rather than remember all these irregular collective nouns, you could also just use a generic "group of ..." - only it is much less colorful!

Yes, I prefer calling them "multiple...", "some ...", or "a lot of...". Still can't get over my head that a group of fish is called a school.