Upcoming Changes to NCBI Taxonomy Classifications

Upcoming Changes to NCBI Taxonomy Classifications

NCBI is continually making improvements to our Taxonomy resource in response to new data and changes in biological nomenclature and classification. In the coming months, we will update the higher-level classification of birds (Aves), budding yeasts (Saccharomycotina), prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea) and Viruses. This update will also change the formal ranks of several high-level taxonomic names including Eukaryota. Except for the new species names for Viruses, none of these changes will affect organism names at the species level or below.  

Here is a brief overview of changes to each group in the order we plan to make them. Stay tuned for upcoming posts, which will describe the changes for each category in more detail. 

Viruses

  • New binomial species names for viruses including the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS) 

Birds (Aves)

  • New major taxonomic group (clade) within birds, Neoaves, comprising 95% of all bird species 

  • 5 new clades under Neoaves  

Yeasts

  • The subphylum Saccharomycotina will be divided into 6 new classes and 11 new orders 

Prokaryotes

  • Bacteria and Archaea will each be assigned the rank domain  

  • Bacteria will be divided into 4 new kingdoms

  • Archaea will be divided into 3 new kingdoms with 4 new phylum names

New ranks: Domain and Realm 

  • The rank superkingdom will no longer be used in NCBI Taxonomy  

  • The current Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota superkingdoms will be given the rank domain

  • The name Viruses will be assigned “no rank” instead of "superkingdom"

  • 6 clades within Viruses will be relabelled with the new rank realm as the highest formal taxonomic rank in Viruses

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