The taxonomic ranks used in biological classification may be rather nebulous to most of us. The classification is hierarchical, meaning that small units are lumped together into larger groups, and then the larger arrays into yet larger ones, and so on. The starting place is the species.
Using our Southwestern animals as an example (and ignoring animals
outside of our area), the coyote is a species and the gray wolf is a species; they are
closely related and so are put together in the genus Canis. We have two
distantly related foxes that are placed in separate genera, Urocyon and
Vulpes. These, together with Canis, form the dog family Canidae. The
Canidae, along with such other families as the cat family, Felidae, join together to
form the order Carnivora. The Carnivora is grouped with such orders as the rodents,
Rodentia, and rabbits, Lagomorpha, to form the class Mammalia that includes all
mammals. Classes such as the mammals, reptiles, and birds are joined to form the phylum
Chordata, and all animal phyla together make up the kingdom Animalia.
Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.
Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.