Which of the following is the correct order of taxa used to classify organisms?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To determine the correct sequence of taxonomic ranks, I will evaluate each option against the standard hierarchical order used in biology.
Option a: 'kingdom, domain, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species' starts with kingdom before domain. Since domain is the highest rank in modern classification (above kingdom), this ordering is incorrect.
Option b: 'domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, order, genus, species' places 'order' before 'family' and 'genus' after 'order' in a way that conflicts with the conventional hierarchy where order comes after class and before family. This makes the sequence inaccurate.
Option c: 'domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species' aligns with the widely accepted taxonomic ladder: Domain > Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species. Each rank is in the correct ascending order from broadest to most specific, which matches modern taxonomy.
Option d: 'domain, kingdom, class, phylum, order, family, genus, species' places 'class' before 'phylum'. Since phylum is a broader category than class, this rearrangement disrupts the proper nesting of ranks and is therefore incorrect.
In summary, only option c preserves the proper hierarchical progression from the highest to the lowest taxonomic level, while the other options contain misordered ranks that do not reflect standard biological classification.

BIO 181 (001&002) FALL 2025 3A - Self-Check: Taxonomy and Phylogeny (LO 3A.1, 3A.2, 3A.3)

Which of the following is the correct order of taxa used to classify organisms?

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