taxon Definition
a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit.
Using taxon: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "taxon" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The taxon Felidae includes all the cat species.
Example
The taxon Homo sapiens includes all humans.
Example
The taxon Canis lupus includes all wolf species.
taxon Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for taxon
- classification
- category
- group
- species
- genus
Phrases with taxon
a taxonomic group that is higher than the rank of species, such as genus, family, order, class, phylum, or kingdom
Example
The higher taxon of the domestic dog is Canis lupus familiaris.
Example
The type taxon of the domestic dog is Canis lupus familiaris.
Example
The monotypic taxon of the giant panda is Ailuropoda melanoleuca.
Origins of taxon
from Greek 'taxis', meaning 'arrangement' and 'nomos', meaning 'law'
Summary: taxon in Brief
The term 'taxon' [ˈtæksɒn] refers to a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. It is used in scientific classification to categorize living organisms into groups based on their characteristics. Examples of taxons include Felidae, Homo sapiens, and Canis lupus. Taxons can be further classified into higher taxons, type taxons, and monotypic taxons.