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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxonomy (biology) | 5/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxonomy_(biology) | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T09:07:47.872113+00:00 | kb-cron |
The "definition" of a taxon is encapsulated by its description or its diagnosis or by both combined. There are no set rules governing the definition of taxa, but the naming and publication of new taxa is governed by sets of rules. In zoology, the nomenclature for the more commonly used ranks (superfamily to subspecies), is regulated by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN Code). In the fields of phycology, mycology, and botany, the naming of taxa is governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). The initial description of a taxon involves five main requirements:
The taxon must be given a name based on the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet (a binomial for new species, or uninomial for other ranks). The name must be unique (i.e. not a homonym). The description must be based on at least one name-bearing type specimen. It should include statements about appropriate attributes either to describe (define) the taxon or to differentiate it from other taxa (the diagnosis, ICZN Code, Article 13.1.1, ICN, Article 38, which may or may not be based on morphology). Both codes deliberately separate defining the content of a taxon (its circumscription) from defining its name. These first four requirements must be published in a work that is obtainable in numerous identical copies, as a permanent scientific record. However, often much more information is included, like the geographic range of the taxon, ecological notes, chemistry, behavior, etc. How researchers arrive at their taxa varies: depending on the available data, and resources, methods vary from simple quantitative or qualitative comparisons of striking features, to elaborate computer analyses of large amounts of DNA sequence data.
=== Author citation ===
An "authority" may be placed after a scientific name. The authority is the name of the scientist or scientists who first validly published the name. For example, in 1758, Linnaeus gave the Asian elephant the scientific name Elephas maximus, so the name is sometimes written as "Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758". The names of authors are often abbreviated: the abbreviation L., for Linnaeus, is commonly used. In botany, there is, in fact, a regulated list of standard abbreviations (see list of botanists by author abbreviation). The system for assigning authorities differs slightly between botany and zoology. However, it is standard that if the genus of a species has been changed since the original description, the original authority's name is placed in parentheses.
== Phenetics ==
In phenetics, also known as taximetrics, or numerical taxonomy, organisms are classified based on overall similarity, regardless of their phylogeny or evolutionary relationships. It results in a measure of hypergeometric "distance" between taxa. Phenetic methods have become relatively rare in modern times, largely superseded by cladistic analyses, as phenetic methods do not distinguish shared ancestral (or plesiomorphic) traits from shared derived (or apomorphic) traits. However, certain phenetic methods, such as neighbor joining, have persisted, as rapid estimators of relationships when more advanced methods (such as Bayesian inference) are too computationally expensive.
== Databases ==
Modern taxonomy uses database technologies to search and catalogue classifications and their documentation. While there is no commonly used database, there are comprehensive databases such as the Catalogue of Life, which attempts to list every documented species. The catalogue listed 1.64 million species for all kingdoms as of April 2016, claiming coverage of more than three-quarters of the estimated species known to modern science.
== See also == Automated species identification – Taxonomic AI processes Bacterial taxonomy – Rank based classification of bacteria Cladogram – Diagram used to show relations among groups of organisms with common origins Classification – Putting things into categories Cluster analysis – Grouping a set of objects by similarity Consortium for the Barcode of Life – Organization for DNA barcoding as a global standard for species identification Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities – European research network Dendrogram – Diagram with a treelike structure Family resemblance – Philosophical idea popularized by Ludwig Wittgenstein Folk taxonomy – Vernacular, as opposed to scientific, naming system Genetypes – Concept in genetic science Glossary of scientific naming Identification (biology) – Process of taking existing name to single organisms Incertae sedis – Term to indicate an uncertain taxonomic position Numerical taxonomy – Classification system in biological systematics Open Tree of Life – Online phylogenetic tree of life Parataxonomy Phenetics (or Taximetrics) – Attempt to classify organisms based on overall similarity Phenogram Prototype theory – Theory of categorization in psychology Set theory – Branch of mathematics that studies sets Systema Naturae – Major work by botanist Carolus Linnaeus Taximetrics (or Phenetics) – Attempt to classify organisms based on overall similarity Taxonomy (general) – Development of classes and classifications Virus classification – Organisation of viruses into a taxonomic system
== Notes ==
== References ==
== Bibliography ==
== External links == What is taxonomy? at the Natural History Museum London Taxonomy at NCBI the National Center for Biotechnology Information Taxonomy at UniProt the Universal Protein Resource ITIS the Integrated Taxonomic Information System CETaF the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities Wikispecies free species directory Biological classification. Archived 13 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine