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• n  (linguistics) a large group of languages that are historically related
• n  (biology) the major taxonomic group of animals and plants; contains classes

• For example, the chordate phylum includes mammals, birds and fish.
• The newest phylum is the semi-, for people who frequently but not systematically avoid meat and dairy.
• Reason: The phylum of arthropods (the name means "jointed legs") has the greatest number of species and individuals, occupies the widest stretches of territory and the greatest .

News & Articles

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• 'Dark matter' of life: Mysterious bacteria sequenced
  By Tia GhoseLiveScience The genome of mysterious bacteria that lurk in hospital drains has been sequenced.Low levels of the bacteria, known only as candidate phylum TM6, have been found in water systems around the world, yet because they could not be cultured in the lab, almost nothing was known about them.The new research, detailed Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of ...
  June 10, 2013 - MSNBC

Quotes

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• Timothy Keating in CNN
  They suffered no damage,Keating said. "But this is a kind of an unwritten law among seamen that if someone is in need, regardless of genus, phylum or species, you let them come in. You give them safe harbor. Jimmy Buffett has songs about...