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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