The multiple role of taxonomy in biology can be summarized as fol- lows: 
1 It is the only science that provides a vivid picture of the existing organic diversity of the Earth. 
2 It provides most of the information needed for a reconstruction of the phylogeny of life. 
3 It reveals numerous interesting evolutionary phenomena and thus makes them available for causal study by other branches of biology. 
4 It supplies. almost exclusively, the information needed for entire branches of biology (e.g., biogeography).