In older taxonomic classifications, a hypothetical family of primitive organisms related to the gastraea concept.
From 'Gastraea' plus the taxonomic suffix '-dae' (indicating a family classification). This term is now considered obsolete as modern phylogenetics has replaced Haeckel's evolutionary framework.
This word is a beautiful relic of how science evolves—Haeckel's gastraea family classification seemed brilliant in the 1870s but turned out to be based on incorrect evolutionary assumptions we now know thanks to DNA!
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