What does the system of different taxonomic groups reflect?

Taxonomy is the field of biology related to the identification, naming and classification of species. Each species has a unique two-part name that places it within the same genus and is then assigned a series of high-level taxonomic rankings.

Taxonomy reflects the evolutionary connectivity of organisms and groups of organisms. The higher the taxonomic level, the more distant organisms are from it, that is, the longer they share a common ancestor. Groups are defined by the presence of common symbols or attributes. Traditionally, these are observable or morphological characteristics, but with the invention of DNA sequencing, genes and molecular markers can also be used as symbols.