Morepork Synopsis of Birds", but did not give it a binomial name. German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin described the morepork in 1788. "Morepork" has been designated the official name by the International Ornithological Committee. Both Gerlof Fokko Mees and Ernst Mayr regarded the taxonomy of the boobook owl as extremely challenging, the latter remarking in 1943 that it was "one of the most difficult problems I have ever encountered". In his 1968 book "Nightwatchmen of the Bush and Plain", Australian naturalist David Fleay observed that the boobooks from Tasmania more closely resembled those of New Zealand than those from mainland Australia,
Anatomical terms of bone a condyle, particularly the medial epicondyle of the humerus. These terms derive from Greek. An "eminence" refers to a relatively small projection or bump, particularly of bone, such as the medial eminence. A "process" refers to a relatively large projection or prominent bump, as does a "promontory" such as the sacral promontory. Both "tubercle" and "tuberosity" refer to a projection or bump with a roughened surface, with a "tubercle" generally smaller than a "tuberosity". These terms are derived from "Tuber" (). A "ramus" () refers to an extension of bone, such as the ramus of the mandible in the jaw