Taxon facts for kids
A taxon (plural taxa) is a group of organisms that scientists decide belong together. Think of it like putting similar things into a specific box. Taxa can be very different in size. For example, all giraffes form a fairly small taxon. On the other hand, all beetles form a very large taxon.
A scientist who studies this is called a taxonomist. They give a scientific name and a "rank" to a taxon. This helps place it at a certain level in a hierarchy, which is like a ladder of groups. Giving names and ranks makes it much easier to talk about and study these groups of living things. Sometimes, new groups of organisms are found, and it can take a long time before they get their official scientific name.
What Are Ranks in Biology?
There are many different ranks, but some are more important than others. These ranks help us organize living things from very broad groups to very specific ones. Here are the main ranks, from the biggest group to the smallest:
Note: The term "Phylum" is usually used for animals, while "Division" is often used for plants and fungi.
A fun way to remember the order of the main ranks is with a phrase like: "Dignified Kings Play Chess On Fine Green Silk."
How Do Scientists Classify Organisms?
The process of grouping organisms is called taxonomy. It's about deciding which organisms belong together in a group. This is different from systematics, which looks at how these groups are related to each other, often based on their shared history.
A special part of taxonomy is called nomenclature. This involves the rules for naming these groups. So, a taxonomist first decides what organisms fit into a group. Then, they use the rules of nomenclature to give that group a name.
Sometimes, if a group is made bigger or smaller, its name might change. Also, the same name might refer to a larger group for one scientist and a smaller group for another. This means that scientific names can sometimes change, though most names stay the same. When scientists don't agree on what organisms belong together, they might not agree on the name either.
Today, scientists try to group organisms based on their evolutionary relationships. This means they look at how different species are related through their shared ancestors. If a taxonomist's reasons for grouping organisms are not strong, other scientists might not agree and could create different groupings.
Images for kids
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African elephants are a well-known taxon, forming the genus Loxodonta.
See also
In Spanish: Taxón para niños
