File:Biological_classification_L_Pengo_vflip.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
subfamily
Sign in to saveAlso known as sub-family, subfamilia
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, positioned below family and above genera. It is used to classify groups of related genera within a family, helping organize the diversity of life more precisely.
~2 min read
Encyclopedic overview
6 sectionsContents
- Botanical subfamilies
- Zoological subfamilies
- Nomenclature and classification rules
- Summary of nomenclature suffixes
- See also
- References
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, positioned below family and above genera. It is used to classify groups of related genera within a family, helping organize the diversity of life more precisely.
Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with the suffix "-oideae", whereas zoological subfamily names end with "-inae". These suffixes help clearly identify the taxonomic rank in scientific literature and classification systems.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “subfamily” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.