taxonomyyn

Taxonomyyn is a proposed framework in information science and biology that seeks to combine traditional hierarchical classification with network-based relationships. In this view, a taxonomy backbone organizes entities into a nested, tree-like structure, while additional edges encode cross-cutting associations such as genetic similarity, ecological interactions, functional similarity, or approved synonyms. The term taxonomyyn blends "taxonomy" with a suffix used in system-design discussions to denote a model or system; there is no universally standardized definition, and usage varies across disciplines.

The core idea is to retain the interpretability of hierarchical taxonomy while enabling more flexible connections between taxa or items. A taxonomyyn model typically comprises a hierarchical backbone plus a graph layer of non-hierarchical links. Data stored in such a model can support queries that seek both lineage information and relatedness not captured by hierarchy alone.

Applications include biodiversity informatics, ontology design, data integration across heterogeneous taxonomies, and knowledge graphs for biological and information-science domains. Implementations often rely on graph databases or graph-augmented relational systems, with standards for cross-links and taxon normalization.

Criticisms center on complexity, potential inconsistencies between the tree and graph layers, and the need for clear governance and provenance. Proponents argue that taxonomyyn offers a richer, more interoperable representation of relationships, particularly when cross-domain data are involved.

See also: taxonomy, phylogenetics, ontologies, knowledge graphs, graph databases.