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What is a superfamily?

Superfamilies are an intermediate classification rank directly above family and might contain one or more related families. Dung beetles are a superfamily containing the stag, bess and scarab beetle families. There is also a superfamily of rodents (Muroidea) containing six families of rats, mice, hamsters and gerbils.

Taxonomic Rank

In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories. The rank of species, and specification of the genus to which the species belongs is basic, which means that it may not be necessary to specify ranks other than these.

  1. Life
  2. Kingdom
  3. Phylum
  4. Superclass
  5. Class
  8. Superorder
  9. Order
  10. Suborder
  11. Infraorder
  12. Superfamily
  13. Family
  14. Tribe
  15. Genus
  16. Species
  17. Subspecies

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