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Glite Dictionary
superphylum

superphylum

1 9.9
A large biological group that contains several related groups of animals
  • noun
  • /ˈsuːpərˌfaɪləm/
  • Specialized
: superfilo
  • Scientists classified the animal as part of the Ecdysozoa superphylum.

Examples

  • Chordates and echinoderms both belong to the Deuterostomia superphylum.

  • The discovery led biologists to propose a new superphylum for these organisms.

  • The superphylum includes various phyla that share common characteristics.

  • Did you know that the superphylum Ecdysozoa contains arthropods and nematodes?

  • The Asgard superphylum includes several phyla that share unique genetic traits.

  • Scientists classified the newly discovered organisms under the Asgard superphylum due to their evolutionary relationships.

  • In biology, a superphylum is a higher taxonomic rank used to group similar phyla.

Surface Forms

superphylum singular
superphyla plural

Morphology

superphylum = phylum (transparent) = super + phylum

The productive prefix 'super-' meaning 'above' combines with the technical noun 'phylum' to denote a rank above a phylum; if a learner knows both components, the meaning follows directly.

Etymology

Superphylum comes from super- meaning 'above' and phylum meaning 'group' or 'tribe' in biology, giving the image of a group that sits above a phylum. So a superphylum is a higher group that contains several related phyla, which is why scientists use it to name big branches of life.