Classification

• Why do we need to classify species?

  To organize millions of different species
• How did our ancestors classify species?

  Based on their physical appearance
• What is a problem with naming species based on appearance?

  Different names exist for the same species
• What does the simple naming system fail to convey?

  How related different species are
• Who proposed the new classification system in the 1700s?

  Carl Linnaeus
• What is the Linnaean system based on?

  Characteristics and bone structures of species
• What are the main categories in the Linnaean classification system?

  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species
• In what language are the names in the Linnaean system mostly written?

  Latin
• How would humans be classified in the Linnaean system?

  Animalia, Chordata, Mammalia, Primates, Hominidae, Homo, Sapiens
• What is the binomial naming system proposed by Linnaeus?

  It uses genus and species names
• How should species names be formatted in writing?

  Italicized with genus capitalized
• What did Carl Woese propose in the 1990s?

  The three domain system of classification
• What evidence did Carl Woese use for his classification system?

  RNA sequences analysis
• What are the three domains proposed by Woese?

  • Eukaryota
  • Bacteria
  • Archaea
• What does the domain Eukaryota include?

  Organisms with eukaryotic cells
• What type of organisms does the domain Bacteria contain?

  Single-celled prokaryotic organisms
• What distinguishes Archaea from Bacteria?

  Archaea are found in extreme conditions
• What are Archaea sometimes referred to as?

  Primitive bacteria
• What do evolutionary trees illustrate?

  Evolutionary relationships between species
• How can we determine the relationship between birds and T. rex?

  By examining their common ancestors
• What does a split in an evolutionary tree represent?

  A common ancestor splitting into species
• What methods do scientists use to learn about species relationships?

  Comparing structure and DNA of species
• What is a mnemonic and how is it used in classification?

  • A mnemonic is a memory aid.
  • Helps remember the order of classification:
  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species
• What mnemonic can help remember the order of classification groups?

  Dear Kate Please Come Over For Great Spaghetti
• Why are voodoo mnemonics often the best?

  They are memorable and engaging
• What is the main purpose of classifying organisms?

  To organize and understand biodiversity