noun
- Plural of phyla; major groups or divisions of organisms in biological classification, ranking below kingdom and above class.
Usage: technical; biology
Examples
- The animal kingdom is divided into several major phylae, including Chordata and Arthropoda.
- Scientists classify organisms into different phylae based on shared evolutionary characteristics.
- Marine biologists study phylae that inhabit ocean ecosystems.
- The phylae of invertebrates represent the greatest diversity of animal life on Earth.