The evolutionary tree of living things is currently supposed to run something along the lines of that listed below. Most of the tree was based on ideas from cladistics; where more than two groups are shown in a single branch, there is disagreement about how they diverged. Hypothetically taxonomy would follow the tree whenever possible, but in many places it does not at present. This cladogram shows the relationship among various insect groups. ... Taxonomy (from Greek ταξινομία (taxinomia) from the words taxis = order and nomos = law) may refer to either the classification of things, or the principles underlying the classification. ...

The description as a "tree" results from earlier ideas of life as a progression from lower to higher forms. Although such views are discredited now, the imagery is too well established to be readily lost.

The terminology originates with Linnaean taxonomy: living things are classified as belonging to domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. Linnaean taxonomy is a system of classification widely used in the biological sciences. ... In biology, a species is, loosely speaking, a group of related organisms that share a more or less distinctive form and are capable of interbreeding. ...

• Life
  • Domain Eubacteria
    • Actinobacteria
    • Aquificae
    • Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi group
    • Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia group
    • Chloroflexi
    • Chrysiogenetes
    • Cyanobacteria
    • Deferribacteres
    • Deinococcus-Thermus group
    • Dictyoglomi
    • Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria group
    • Firmicutes
    • Fusobacteria
    • Gemmatimonadetes
    • Nitrospirae
    • Planctomycetes
    • Proteobacteria
    • Spirochaete
    • Thermodesulfobacteria
    • Thermomicrobia
    • Thermotogae
    • unclassified Bacteria
    • ...
  • Domain Archaea
    • Crenarchaeota (extremely thermophilic archaebacteria)
    • Euryarchaeota
    • Korarchaeota
    • Nanoarchaeota
  • Domain Eukaryota, organisms with cells containing a nucleus
    • Opisthokonts
      • Kingdom Animalia - animals
      • Choanoflagellates
      • Nucleariids
      • Kingdom Fungi - fungi
    • Amoebozoa
    • Rhizaria
      • Cercozoa
      • Foraminifera
      • Polycystinea
      • Acantharea
      • Sticholonche
    • Excavates
      • Retortamonads
      • Diplomonads
      • Oxymonads
      • Parabasalids
      • Jakobids
      • Heterolobosea
      • Euglenozoa
    • "Plants"
      • Kingdom Plantae - green plants
      • Red algae
      • Glaucophytes
    • Heterokonts
    • Alveolates
      • Ciliates
      • Apicomplexa
      • Dinoflagellates
      • Ellobiopsids
    • Stephanopogon
    • Apusomonads
    • Kathablepharids
    • Pseudodendromonads
    • Spironemids
    • Copromyxids
    • Vampyrellids
    • Dimorphids
    • Gymnosphaerids
    • Ebriids
    • Haptophytes
    • Xenophyophorea
    • Cryptomonads
    • Centrohelids

Life is a multi-faceted concept. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria is also the fictional name of a warring nation under Benzino Napaloni as dictator, in the 1940 film The Great Dictator... Orders Subclass Acidimicrobidae     Acidimicrobiales Subclass Actinobacteridae     Actinomycetales     Bifidobacteriales Subclass Coriobacteridae     Coriobacteriales Subclass Rubrobacteridae     Rubrobacterales Subclass Sphaerobacteridae     Sphaerobacterales The Actinobacteria or Actinomycetes are a group of Gram-positive bacteria. ... Familia Aquificaceae Hydrogenothermaceae The Aquificae phylum is a diverse collection of bacteria that live in harsh environmental settings. ... Classes & orders Class Bacteroides    Bacteroidales Class Flavobacteria    Flavobacteriales Class Sphingobacteria    Sphingobacteriales The phylum Bacteroidetes is composed of three large groups of bacteria. ... Genera Chlorobium Ancalochloris Chloroherpeton Clathrochloris Pelodictyon Prostheochloris The green sulfur bacteria are a family (Chlorobiaceae) of phototrophic bacteria. ... Orders / Genera Chlamydiales / Chlamidia Verrucomicrobiales / Verrucomicrobium Chlamydiae is a phylum of the bacteria kingdom. ... Genera Verrucomicrobium Prosthecobacter Akkermansia Verrucomicrobia is a recently described phylum of bacteria. ... Orders / Families / Genera Order Chloroflexales     Family Chloroflexaceae      Chloroflexus      Chloronema      Heliothrix      Roseiflexus    Family Oscillochloridaceae      Oscillochloris Order Herpetosiphonales      Herpetosiphon The Chloroflexi are a group of bacteria that produce energy through photosynthesis. ... Binomial name Chrysiogenes arsenatis Chrysiogenes arsenatis is a species of bacterium given its own phylum or division, called the Chrysiogenetes. ... Orders The taxonomy of the Cyanobacteria is currently under revision. ... Orders & Genera Deinococcales     Deinococcus Thermales     Thermus     Meiothermus     Marinithermus     Oceanithermus     Vulcanithermus The Deinococcus-Thermus are a small group of bacteria comprised of cocci highly resistant to environmental hazards. ... Binomial name Dictyoglomus thermophilum Dictyoglomus thermophilum is a species of bacterium, given its own phylum, called the Dictyoglomi. ... Genera Acidobacterium Geothrix Holophaga Acidobacteria form a newly devised division of Bacteria. ... Classes Bacilli Clostridia Mollicutes The Firmicutes are a group of bacteria, most of which have Gram-positive stains. ... Fusobacteria contribute to several diseases, including periodontal diseases, Lemierres syndrome, and tropical skin ulcers. ... Plancomycetes are obligately aerobic aquatic bacteria [requires atmospheric oxygen for growth] and are found in field samples of brackish and marine as well as freshwater samples. ... Orders Alpha Proteobacteria    Caulobacterales - e. ... Families Brachyspiraceae Leptospiraceae Spirochaetaceae The spirochaetes are a phylum of distinctive bacteria, which have long, helically coiled cells. ... Genera Desulfotalea Desulfovirga Thermodesulfobacterium The Thermodesulfobacteria are a small group of thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria. ... Classes Thermomicrobia phylum is a phenotype of the green non-sulfur bacteria. ... Species Thermotoga elfii Thermotoga hypogea Thermotoga lettingae Thermotoga maritima Thermotoga naphthophila Thermotoga neapolitana Thermotoga petrophila Thermotoga subterranea Thermotoga thermarum Thermotoga are thermophile or hyperthermophile bacteria whose cell is wrapped in an outer toga membrane. ... Phyla / Classes Phylum Crenarchaeota Phylum Euryarchaeota     Halobacteria     Methanobacteria     Methanococci     Methanopyri     Archaeoglobi     Thermoplasmata     Thermococci Phylum Korarchaeota Phylum Nanoarchaeota The Archaea are a major group of prokaryotes. ... Orders Caldisphaerales Cenarchaeales Desulfurococcales Sulfolobales Thermoproteales The Crenarchaeota are a major group of Archaea, containing many extremely thermophilic organisms. ... Classes Halobacteria Methanobacteria Methanococci Methanomicrobia Methanosarcinae Methanopyri Archaeoglobi Thermoplasmata Thermococci The Euryarchaeota are a major group of Archaea. ... The Korarchaeota are a group of Archaea known only from 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from samples of hydrothermal environments. ... Nanoarchaeum equitans is a species of tiny microbe, discovered in 2002 in a hot vent off the coast of Iceland by Karl Stetter. ... Kingdoms Animalia - Animals Fungi Plantae - Plants Protista Eukaryotes (also spelled eucaryotes) are organisms with complex cells, in which the genetic material is organized into membrane-bound nuclei. ... The opisthokonts are a broad group of eukaryotes, including both the animals and fungi, together with a few sorts of protists. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Subregnum Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... The choanoflagellates are a group of flagellate protozoa. ... The nucleariids are a small group of amoebae with filose pseudopods, known mostly from soils and freshwater. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Glomeromycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota Yellow fungus For the fictional character, see Fungus the Bogeyman. ... Subgroups Mycetozoa (slime moulds) Archamoebae Gymnamoebia Various others The Amoebozoa are a major group of amoeboid protozoa, comprising the majority of the amoebae that move using blunt or lobose pseudopods. ... The Rhizaria are a major line of protists. ... The Cercozoa are a group of protists, including most amoebae and flagellates that feed by means of filose pseudopods. ... Orders Allogromiida Carterinida Fusulinida - extinct Globigerinida Involutinida Lagenida Miliolida Robertinida Rotaliida Silicolocunida Spirillinida Textulariida The Foraminifera, or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists with reticulating pseudopods, fine strands that branch and merge to form a dynamic net. ... The polycystines are a group of radiolarian protists. ... The Acantharea are a small group of radiolarian protozoa, distinguished mainly by their skeletons. ... Sticholonche is a peculiar genus of protozoan with a single species, , found in open oceans at depths of 100-500 metres. ... This article is about the protist group called excavates. ... Genera Retortamonas Chilomastix The retortamonads are a small group of flagellates, mostly found in the intestines of animals, although some are free-living. ... The diplomonads are a group of flagellates, most of which are parasitic. ... The oxymonads are a group of flagellate protozoa found exclusively in the intestines of termites and other wood-eating insects. ... Orders Trichomonadida Hypermastigida The parabasalids are group of flagellate protozoa, most of which are symbiotic in animals. ... The Percolozoa are a group of colorless protists including many that can transform between amoeboid, flagellate, and encysted stages, collectively referred to as schizopyrenids or amoeboflagellates. ... Classes Euglenoidea Kinetoplastea Diplonemea Postgaardea The Euglenozoa are a large group of flagellate protozoa, dominated by the euglenids and kinetoplastids. ... Divisions Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants Adiantum pedatum (a fern... Red algae Classes Florideophyceae Bangiophyceae Cyanidiophyceae The red algae (Rhodophyta) are a large group of mostly multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds. ... The glaucophytes are a tiny group of freshwater algae. ... Typical classes Colored groups Chrysophyceae (golden algae) Synurophyceae Actinochrysophyceae (axodines) Pelagophyceae Phaeothamniophyceae Bacillariophyceae (diatoms) Raphidophyceae Eustigmatophyceae Xanthophyceae (yellow-green algae) Phaeophyceae (brown algae) Colorless groups Oomycetes (water moulds) Hypochytridiomycetes Bicosoecea Labyrinthulomycetes (slime nets) Opalinea Proteromonadea The heterokonts or stramenopiles are a major line of eukaryotes. ... The alveolates are a major line of protists. ... Classes & Subclasses Class Karyorelictea Class Heterotrichea (e. ... Classes & subclasses Class Conoidasida    Gregarinasina    Coccidiasina Class Aconoidasida    Haemosporasina    Piroplasmasina The Apicomplexa are a large group of protozoa, characterized by the presence of an apical complex at some point in their life-cycle. ... Classes Dinophyceae Noctiluciphyceae Syndiniophyceae The dinoflagellates are a large group of flagellate protists. ... Stephanopogon is a peculiar marine protozoan. ... Orders Apusomonadida Ancyromonadida Hemimastigida The Apusozoa comprise several genera of flagellate protozoa. ... Orders Apusomonadida Ancyromonadida Hemimastigida The Apusozoa comprise several genera of flagellate protozoa. ... A small group of protists with filose pseudopods and lacking shells. ... The dimorphids are a small group of flagellate heliozoa. ... The gymnosphaerids are a group of heliozoan protists, found in marine environments, and including both mobile and sessile forms. ... The haptophytes (from the Greek hapsis - touch, reflecting their use of the haptonema), classed either as the Prymnesiophyta or Haptophyta, are a group of algae. ... Orders Psamminida Stannomida Xenophyophores are marine protozoans, giant single-celled organisms found exclusively on the floor of the deep ocean. ... Typical genera Campylomonas Chilomonas Chroomonas Cryptomonas Falcomonas Geminigera Goniomonas Guillardia Hemiselmis Plagioselmis Proteomonas Storeatula Rhodomonas Teleaulax The cryptomonads are a small group of flagellates, most of which have chloroplasts. ... Families Raphidiophryidae Acanthocystidae Heterophryidae The centrohelids, or Centroheliozoa, are a large group of heliozoan protists, including both mobile and sessile forms found in both freshwater and marine environments, especially at some depth. ...

See Also

• Evolution
• Phylogeny
• Phylogenetic tree
• Taxonomy
• Tree of life

Charles Darwin, father of the theory of evolution by natural selection. ... In biology, Phylogenetics (Greek: phylon = race and genetic = birth) is the taxonomical classification of organisms based on how closely they are related in terms of evolutionary differences. ... A phylogenetic tree is a tree showing the evolutionary interrelationships among various species or other entities that are believed to have a common ancestor. ... Taxonomy (from Greek ταξινομία (taxinomia) from the words taxis = order and nomos = law) may refer to either the classification of things, or the principles underlying the classification. ... The Tree-of-Life is a fictional plant (the ancestor of yams, with similar appearance and taste) in Larry Nivens Known Space universe, for which all Hominids have an in-built genetic craving. ...

External links

• http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html The Tree of Life — A multi-authored, distributed Internet project containing information about phylogeny and biodiversity

More examples

• http://www.aisee.com/graph_of_the_month/jura.htm — The most detailed and comprehensive family tree of dinosaurs yet available
• http://www.omne-vivum.com tree of life with lots of pictures