taxon

A taxon is a group of living things that share specific common characteristics, used in biological classification. It can range from broad categories like kingdoms or phyla, to more specific ones like genera or species. Essentially, a taxon helps scientists organize and identify organisms, showing how they are related in terms of evolution and traits. For example, humans are in the species *Homo sapiens*, which is part of the genus *Homo*, within the family *Hominidae*. The concept simplifies understanding the vast diversity of life by grouping similar organisms together.