highertaxon

A higher taxon, also known as a higher-level taxon, is a taxonomic rank that encompasses multiple lower-level taxa. In the biological classification system, higher taxa are used to group organisms based on shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships. The most commonly used higher taxa include domains, kingdoms, phyla (or divisions in plants), classes, orders, families, and genera. For example, the kingdom Animalia includes all animals, while the phylum Chordata encompasses all chordates, such as vertebrates and some invertebrates. Higher taxa are essential for organizing and understanding the diversity of life on Earth, as they provide a framework for classifying and studying organisms at various levels of complexity.