As you suggest, taxonomy is (when referring to biology) the science of classifying organisms.
Taxonomy got its start with the eighteenth century scientist Carolus Linnaeus. He proposed the system of taxonomy that is now used by biologists.
This system uses seven levels of classification. These are, in order of most general to least general: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. Any of these levels of classification may contain sublevels.
In biology, taxonomic classifications are made based on observed physical characteristics, by genetic analysis, or by inference from the fossil record.
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