How to: Find the complete taxonomic lineage for an organism

Starting with an organism or taxon name...

  1. Search the Taxonomy database with the organism name. Accepted common names usually work at all taxonomic levels. Use the scientific name or formal name if no results are obtained with the common name.
  2. Click on the desired taxon name in the results. For terminal taxa - generally subspecies, species, or strains - this link leads directly to the summary page. For higher taxa this link will lead to the Taxonomy Browser showing the lower taxa contained within the higher taxon. If this is the case, click again on the name of the desired taxon.
  3. The complete taxonomic lineage is displayed at the top of the Taxonomy Browser or in the taxon information page. Click on "Lineage" to toggle between the full and abbreviated lineage.