Taxa

Taxa is a term used in biology to refer to a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although the Linnaean system of classification specifies a hierarchy of taxonomic ranks, including, among others, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species, there is an open-ended and arbitrary number of ranks.

A taxon (plural: taxa) can be assigned to any rank in this hierarchy. For example, the canine genus, including wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs, is usually classified as the taxon Canis, at the rank of genus.

History

The concept of taxa originated with Carl Linnaeus, who in the 18th century developed a system of classification that is now known as the Linnaean system. This system is based on a hierarchy of ranks, each of which is associated with a specific taxon.

Classification

The classification of organisms into taxa is based on shared characteristics. These characteristics can be morphological (related to the form and structure of the organisms), genetic (based on the DNA sequences of the organisms), or ecological (related to the environments in which the organisms live and their interactions with other organisms).

Taxonomic ranks

The main taxonomic ranks, from highest to lowest, are as follows:

• Domain
• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species

Each rank is associated with a specific level of biological classification. For example, a species is a group of organisms that are closely related and can interbreed to produce fertile offspring, while a genus is a group of species that are closely related and share a common ancestor.

See also

• Biodiversity
• Taxonomy (biology)
• Binomial nomenclature
• Cladistics

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