Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the system used to organize and describe Life. Modern biological classification combines a traditional ranked taxonomic system with phylogenetic clades, allowing organisms to be described both by taxonomic position and by ancestry.

The standard taxonomic ranks are domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species notethese are the same as Earth because inventing new ones would be pointlessly confusing. Intermediate ranks such as subphylum, superclass, subclass, infraorder, and others are used where necessary.

Alongside these ranks, modern taxonomy makes extensive use of clades. A clade consists of a population that shares a common ancestry, and all of its descendants and does not possess a predetermined taxonomic rank. Clades may therefore contain several kingdoms or represent a subdivision within a single genus.

This distinction is particularly important among several ancient cellular groups whose evolutionary relationships do not cleanly correspond to their traditional ranks.

Four domains are usually recognized:

• Facilivota
• Asperlae
• Nexivota
• Proviyota

Cladistic classification places Nexivota within the broader Facilivote branch and Proviyota within the broader Ventrarchote branch. Their recognition as separate domains is retained because of their extensive biological divergence and the historical development of the ranked system.

Domain Facilivota

Facilivota is one of the major unicellular domains of Aron. Facilivotes are generally small and lack the extensive internal compartmentalization associated of Proviyota, although their morphology and metabolism are highly diverse.

Facilivotes occur throughout aquatic, terrestrial, subterranean, aerial, and biological environments. They include major producers, decomposers, parasites, and organisms responsible for numerous nutrient cycles.

Kingdom Facilivia

Facilivia contains a broad range of free-living and associated Facilivotes. Members occur in soils, sediments, water, mineral surfaces, biological tissues, and microbial mats.

Kingdom Fosozoi

Fosozoi contains photosynthetic Facilivotes and represents one of the most ecologically important groups of primary producers on Aron. Fosozoi occur as independent organisms in aquatic and terrestrial microbial ecosystems and as partners within numerous larger organisms. Several lineages use the Azurophyll pigment and the Morgan Cycle.

Host-associated Fosozoi are particularly important within Sovera. Rather than maintaining a single permanently integrated photosynthetic lineage, many Soverans cultivate populations of competing Fosozoi within specialized tissues.

Kingdom Nitrofacia

Nitrofacia contains Facilivotes specializing in nitrogen metabolism and nitrogen cycling. Members are widespread in soils, sediments, wetlands, biological tissues, digestive environments, and decomposing material.

Kingdom Necrofacia

Necrofacia contains Facilivotes specializing in decomposition and the recycling of biological material. Necrofacians occupy nearly every ecosystem and frequently form complex communities in which different organisms specialize in successive stages of decomposition.

Domain Nexivota

Nexivota otherwise known as Worker Cells are a highly derived domain of symbiotic cellular organisms descended from within the Facilivote lineage. Nexivotes are widely known as Worker Cells because of their extensive integration into larger organisms. They are classified as a different domain for the fact that they have lost a significant number of important genes and processes necessary for independent living.

Nexivotes may participate in immune defense, nutrient processing, chemical regulation, tissue maintenance, repair, and other physiological functions. Many complex organisms maintain large populations of specialized Nexivotes within the Symbiary System.

Domain Asperlae

Asperlae is one of the major cellular domains of Aron. Asperlae are particularly diverse in chemically extreme environments and include many lineages living within hydrothermal systems, deep subsurface environments, brines, and generally hostile environments.

Domain Proviyota

Proviyota is a multicellular and unicellular domain nested within the broader Ventrarchote branch. Proviyotes are distinguished by compartmentalization and include all complex multicellular lifeforms..

Complex Proviyotes frequently exist as holobionts associated with Nexivota, Facilivotes, and other partner organisms.

The major recognized kingdoms are Provista, Mykovia, and Zoavia.

Kingdom Provista

Provista contains a diverse collage of unicellular, colonial, and relatively simple multicellular Proviyotes.

Provistans include numerous predatory, absorptive, colonial, mobile, and symbiotic forms and preserve a wide range of cellular organizations not present in the larger multicellular kingdoms.

Kingdom Mykovia

Mykovia contains primarily absorptive and externally digestive Proviyotes. Mykovians include filamentous organisms, mats, crusts, decomposers, mineral-associated forms, large structural organisms, and numerous symbiotic producers. They contain the clade Sovera.

Supergroup Sovera

Sovera is the major photosynthetic supergroup within Mykovia. Soverans maintain photosynthetic Fosozoi populations within specialized tissues. They include many of the large producers of terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial ecosystems.

In many Soverans, individual photosynthetic tissues maintain multiple competing populations of Fosozoi. Host resource distribution favors populations providing greater output, allowing population composition to change throughout the lifetime of an organism. This can even occur between individual photosynthetic structures on the same individual.

Clade Durasia

Durasia is a major clade within Mykovia characterized by the construction of rigid external or internal shells composed of bioglass, calcium compounds, silica, and other mineralized materials. Durasian forms occur both within and outside Sovera, and include reef-building organisms, sponges, and highly durable forms such as Perspidomus. Many Durasian lineages contribute substantially to reef formation by depositing large mineralized structures that persist after death and provide habitat for later generations of organisms.

Kingdom Zoavia

Zoavia comprises mobile, internal digestion, multicellular Proviyotes. Zoavians possess differentiated tissues, internal digestive systems, developed sensory structures, contractile tissues, and diverse nervous systems.

Zoavia contains an enormous diversity of aquatic, terrestrial, subterranean, and aerial forms.

Clade Hexamembra

Hexamembra is a clade characterized by six major locomotory appendages. Hexamembrans diversified extensively in terrestrial, semi-terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial environments. Numerous later lineages extensively modified the ancestral six-limbed body plan.

Clade Cerebroletia

Cerebroletia is the group of brainlet bearing Zoavians. Members possess distributed neural centers specialized for sensory processing, locomotion, behavioral coordination, and other functions. Cerebroletian lineages include several of the most behaviorally complex organisms on Aron, including Aronians.