Gootinidae

Gootinidae is a fictional taxonomic family used in biology education to illustrate how higher classification is structured and how taxonomic diagnoses are made. The name does not correspond to any formally described group in peer‑reviewed literature, and it is not listed in major taxonomic databases. It is sometimes presented in textbooks as an example, not as a real lineage.

In instructional treatments, Gootinidae is typically placed within the animal kingdom and described as a meso‑ or macroinvertebrate group with a suite of diagnostic traits used to define a family. Because it is an educational construct, its exact position in the broader tree of life can vary between sources.

Genera commonly cited within Gootinidae include Gootina and Gootinella. Species are usually hypothetical, such as Gootina exemplaris and Gootinella minor, created to demonstrate how species within a family would be named under the binomial system.

Morphology and ecology in such examples focus on illustrating principles rather than documenting real organisms. Typical discussions emphasize shared derived characters, the role of a type genus, and how scientists distinguish a family from other ranks.

See also: Taxonomy in education; Taxonomic ranks. Note: Gootinidae is a didactic construct, not a scientifically recognized lineage.