stamklassen

Stamklassen is a term found in Dutch-language discussions of biological classification. The word combines stam, meaning phylum, with klasse, meaning class, and is used to refer to the classes that belong to a given phylum. It is not a formal rank used in most modern taxonomic systems, where the standard hierarchy runs from kingdom to phylum, then to class, order, family, genus, and species.

In practice, stamklassen appears mainly in didactic or historical contexts to illustrate how a single stam (phylum) can be subdivided into several classes that share broad features but differ in more specific traits. For example, within the phylum Chordata, the stamklassen would include classes such as Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia, Amphibia, and Actinopterygii. The concept helps students compare the diversity within a phylum by grouping its constituent classes together for discussion.

Because contemporary systematics increasingly emphasizes phylogenetic relationships and clades over fixed ranks, the use of stamklassen as an official category has diminished in professional taxonomy. It persists mainly as a pedagogical tool or in older prose to convey the idea that multiple classes exist within a larger phylum.

See also: taxonomy, phylum, class, clade.