Taxonomic ranks, cladograms, and how biologists classify and group living things. Front: the term. Back: a plain-language definition.
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- Domain
- The highest taxonomic rank, grouping organisms by cell type and energy source, such as Bacteria, Archaea, or Eukarya.
- Kingdom
- A major taxonomic rank below domain, such as Animalia, Plantae, or Fungi.
- Phylum
- A taxonomic rank below kingdom that groups organisms sharing major body plan features, such as Chordata or Arthropoda.
- Class
- A taxonomic rank below phylum, such as Mammalia, Aves, or Reptilia.
- Order
- A taxonomic rank below class, such as Primates or Carnivora.
- Family
- A taxonomic rank below order, such as Felidae or Hominidae.
- Genus
- A taxonomic rank below family, used as the first part of an organism's scientific name, such as Homo or Felis.
- Species
- The most specific taxonomic rank, a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, such as Homo sapiens.
- Taxonomy
- The science and practice of classifying organisms into ordered groups based on evolutionary relationships and shared characteristics.
- Taxon
- Any group of organisms classified together at a specific taxonomic rank, such as a genus or species.
- Binomial nomenclature
- A two-part scientific naming system where the first part is the genus and the second part is the species epithet, such as Canis lupus.
- Cladistics
- A classification method that groups organisms based on shared derived characters and evolutionary ancestry, creating branching diagrams of relationships.
- Cladogram
- A branching diagram that shows evolutionary relationships among organisms and their common ancestors.
- Clade
- A group of organisms consisting of a common ancestor and all of its descendants.
- Monophyletic
- A group that includes a common ancestor and all of its descendants, representing a true clade.