The hierarchy of living things is a system of recognition and grouping by common traits with segregation driven by different traits. The explanation for such an arrangement is descent with modification from a common ancestor.

DWA: It seems to just be one of those naturally-ordered things that an intelligence would certainly be able to believe exists/perceive.

If it is "naturally" ordered, then intelligence was not needed. If it's just a matter of human perception, then falsifying observations should be pretty easy to find unless some outside intelligence is more interested in being a trickster than running the world. That would violate a load of assumptions behind most designists.

DWA: With my recent learning/discovery of the concept of "cladism", I see that more than one "hierarchy" system might exist in minds somewhere. A perceived hierarchy may not be the "real" one. That's what "wars" are able to sort out?