The alpine newt was first described in 1768 by Austrian zoologist Laurenti, as Triton alpestris, from the Ötscher mountain in the Austrian Alps (alpestris meaning "alpine" in Latin).[4] He used that name for a female and described the male (Triton salamandroides) and the larva (Proteus tritonius) as different species.[5] Later, the alpine newt was placed in the genus Triturus along with most other European newts. When genetic evidence showed that this genus contained several unrelated lineages,[6][7][8] the alpine newt was split off by García-París and colleagues as the monotypic genus Mesotriton in 2004,[9] which had been erected as a subgenus by Bolkay in 1928.[10]