Page 69 - The Cambrian Evidence that Darwin Failed to Comprehend
P. 69

B        iologists classify organisms into vari-





                                 ous groups. In this systematic classifi-
                                 cation, known as taxonomy, hierarchi-
                    cal categories are set out according to the various char-
                    acteristics of organisms.

                       The Systematics of Organisms

                       Under this system, life forms are first classified as
                  kingdoms. They are then divided into phyla, which in turn
                  are divided into other sub-categories. The hierarchical clas-
                  sification runs like this;
                       Kingdom
                       Phylum (plural phyla)
                       Class
                       Order
                        Family
                        Genus (plural genera)
                          Species
                           Scientists divide the animal world into five
                         kingdoms,—which number has recently var-
                           ied between six and three, depending on
                              different classifications—and then
                                 divide these into 25 to 35
                                    phyla.


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