Galhafan Biological Taxonomy

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Biological taxonomy on Galhaf is based, like terrestrial Linnaean taxonomy, on a hierarchy of categories, of which there are eleven main levels. Unlike Linnaen taxonomy, scientific names are trinomial in full, and the species name comes first. The format of a full name is species genus ima ("from") family (family may informally be omitted if there is no chance of confusion). Most names are taken from the Classical Blafu language. Names may consist of two or more words, but must be written as a single compound for the lowest three levels.

There are eleven primary, obligatory, levels, as well as a number of optional levels. The optional levels are indented. Blafu names are given, along with their literal translations and, for the main levels, rough approximations in Linnaean taxonomy. I use those translations on this wiki.

• Thabè ("World", No equivalent)
• Kala Yarè ("Continent", Domain)
• Yarè ("Land", Kingdom)
  • ("Region")
• Ng'uta ("Province", Phylum)
  • ("District", Subphylum)
  • ("Subdistrict", Infraphylum)
  • ("City", Microphylum)
  • ("Higher Grade", Superclass)
• Fasà ("Grade" Class)
  • ("Lesser Grade", Subclass)
  • ("Distinction", Infraclass)
  • ("Subdistinction", Parvclass)
  • ("Minor Distinction", Superdivision)
  • ("Grand Division", Division)
  • ("Higher Division", Superlegion)
• Phénde ("Division", Legion)
  • ("Lesser Division", Sublegion)
  • ("Subdivision", Infralegion)
  • ("Minor Division", Cohort)
  • ("Confederation", Subcohort)
  • ("Union", Megaorder)
  • ("Higher Clan", Superorder)
• Myatù ("Clan", Order)
  • ("Lesser Clan", Parvorder)
  • ("Subclan", Hypoorder)
  • ("Higher Branch", Minorder)
• Phéta ("Branch", Sub-order)
  • ("Lesser Branch", Infraorder)
  • ("Subbranch", Parvorder)
  • ("Minor Branch", Megafamily)
  • ("Family", Grand Family)
  • ("Section", Hyperfamily)
  • ("Subsection", Superfamily)
• Kala Nwage ("Higher Type", Family)
• Nwage ("Type", Genus)
• T'raphe ("Kind", Species)
  • ("Lesser Kind", Subspecies)

In addition, as on Earth, unranked cladistic names are common, and have been growing in popularity.

A few special species-names

• Minì literally "only", indicates a species which is the only known member of its genus
  • Note: minì has fallen out of use for new species; a number of species that have the minì designation are not, in fact, the only species in their genus, as later species were discovered after the naming
• Trùku literally "first", indicates the most common or first known member of a genus

Some sample names

• Human: Minì Ñaphe ima Cha-Ñaphe (Only human from [those] like humans)

History

There was no single inventor of the standard taxonomy. Eastern Odirá had long used Classical Blafu for their scientific terminology, and a large number of animals had developed standardized names, usually consisting of two parts, an adjective and a type, the origin of the species-genus. In Blafu, adjectives can precede or follow their noun, and thus, originally, either order could be used. Larger groups were sometimes used as well, such as the "higher types" and "grades".

The taxonomy was regularized by the International Conference on Biological Naming, which set out a procedure to agree upon a single name for every known plant and animal, and a standardized naming for higher groups. They adopted the bi-/trinomial system, and agreed upon the species-first order (in accordance with the general pattern in Blafu to place small categories first). The original formalized system contained 6 levels - land, grade, clan, higher type, type, kind. Initially, the "grade" level was particularly broad, and in some cases included entire phyla or even kingdoms. Its name is a vestige of a concept similar to Earth's Great chain of being. The "province" level was the first addition, as the number of "grades" increased to inconvenient levels, and especially as many of the "grades" came to be recognized as being excessively broad. Some of the grades were grouped into provinces, while in other cases, grades were recognized as being provinces, and divided into new grades. Divisions and branches were added later.

As the Xenogenesis theory grew in popularity, it became recognized that to group the "new" animals and the "old" animals, likewise the "new" and "old" plants, into single lands was unrealistic, and that it was more sensible to place the "new" plants and animals into a single group together and the "old" plants and animals into another group. Some argued for replacing the old lands all together and replacing them with that new-old distinction, while others argued that a new level should be added above the land. The second view won out, and the World level was added. The "continent" level is the newest addition.