Question

Which of the following is a taxon?

• A. Species
• B. Genus
• C. Phylum
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

• Taxon represents taxonomic group of any rank. Each individual belongs to a hierarchy of taxa which are assigned taxonomic ranks. The seven essential ranks of taxa in descending order are kingdom, division/phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.
• Name of a species refers to group of potentially interbreeding, morphologically similar individuals.
• A genus is a taxonomic rank that constitutes single species of monophyletic group of species that share a sum total of characters, though they cannot interbreed.
• A group of closely related classes, that share some common morphological features but are reproductively incompatible, constitutes a phylum.

• Thus, names of species, genus and phylum represent taxa of a particular hierarchy which makes option D correct.