Superfamily
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Superfamily is a noun meaning (taxonomy) A taxonomic category above family and below order (and its subdivisions).
Meaning
(taxonomy) A taxonomic category above family and below order (and its subdivisions).
More Meanings
- (molecular biology) A large group of related proteins or other molecules.
Example Sentences
There is no reason to deny a natural sequence or to split off genera only to have to attempt later to re-insert them into the whole by means of subordos and superfamilies.
The genus Saipanetta has been suggested to be a surviving relict of the metacopidan superfamily Healdiacea because of its muscle scar pattern and narrow duplicature; nevertheless, it differs from the Metacopida in its more complex hingement, lack of a distinct contact groove, exaggerated domiciliar asymmetry, and lack of posterior ridges or angulations.
Word Forms
- superfamilies
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include superphylum, parvorder, subphylum, subgenus, subsection, section.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.