phylon

Phylon is a term with multiple uses in different scholarly contexts, rooted in the Greek word phylon meaning "race," "tribe," or "stock." In biology, phylon has historically appeared as a broad taxonomic grouping and, at times, as a synonym or alternative to the rank now widely known as phylum. In early natural history, phylon was used to denote major divisions of life or lineages, but in contemporary taxonomy the standard rank is phylum, and the term phylon is largely obsolete in formal nomenclature. The concept, however, can still be encountered in historical discussions of classification and phylogeny as a general sense of a lineage rather than a formal rank.

Phylon is also the title of an academic journal, Phylon: A Journal of Afro-American Studies, established in 1919 by W. E. B. Du Bois at Atlanta University. The publication served as a forum for scholarship on race relations, sociology, history, and African American culture, contributing to the development of Black studies in the United States. It remained an influential venue through the mid-20th century, reflecting the scholarly and social concerns of its era and helping to advance interdisciplinary discussion on race and society.