Linnaean taxonomy communicates both the common and distinct features of an organism. Which selection from the article provides the BEST support for the statement above?
(A) Groups at the top of the hierarchy - domain, kingdom, phylum and class - are more broad in definition
and contain a greater number of organisms. The more specific groups that are lower in the hierarchy -
families, genera and species-have fewer.
(B) With each group of organisms assigned to a domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus and
species, they can be uniquely characterized. Their membership in a group tells us about the traits they
share with other members of the group. It also tells us about traits that make them unique.
(C) Classification is the systematic grouping and naming of organisms based on shared structural
similarities, functional similarities or evolutionary history. Taxonomy is the science of classifying
organisms
(D) As our knowledge of organisms expands, we gain a better understanding of the similarities and
differences among them in turn those similarities and differences shape how we assign animals to the
various groups, or taxa.