Abstract

The field of taxonomy, the science of defining and classifying biological diversity, is undergoing a profound paradigm shift. Moving beyond the historical reliance on morphological characters alone, integrative taxonomy advocates for a collaborative framework that synthesizes evidence from multiple disciplines to delimit species boundaries. This review argues that this multidisciplinary approach is not merely beneficial but essential for constructing a robust, natural, and evolutionarily coherent classification system. We explore the core "data pillars" of modern taxonomy—morphology, genomics, phytochemistry, and ecology—highlighting the strengths and limitations of each. A central theme is the development of a framework for interpreting instances of incongruence between these disparate data types, not as failures, but as valuable insights into evolutionary processes such as convergent evolution, hybridization, and cryptic speciation. Through contemporary case studies, we demonstrate how integrative taxonomy has resolved complex taxonomic controversies, leading to the discovery of cryptic species and the redefinition of paraphyletic groups. We conclude that the future of taxonomy lies in its continued evolution into a truly holistic science, one that leverages technological advancements across fields to build a dynamic and predictive understanding of life's diversity.

Key words: Integrative Taxonomy, Phylogenomics, Cryptic Species, Metabolomics, Ecological Niche Modeling, Systematics