taxonomy

• Taxonomy


  The science of arranging and classifying living organisms into groups called taxa
• Systematics


  The study of the diversification of life forms, both past and present, and their relationships among other organisms through time
• Classification is the arrangement of organisms into orderly groups based on their similarities
• Classification is also known as taxonomy
• Taxonomists


  Scientists that identify and name organisms
• Benefits of classifying


  • Accurately & uniformly names organisms
  • Prevents misnomers
  • Uses the same language (Latin or Greek) for all names
• Latin names are understood by all Taxonomists
• Early Taxonomists


  Aristotle was the first taxonomist, he divided organisms into Plants and Animals and subdivided them by their habitat
• John Ray


  A botanist, was the first to use Latin for naming Plants. His names were very long descriptions telling everything about the plant.
• Carolus Linnaeus


  18th-century taxonomist, classified organisms by their structure, developed naming system still used today, called the "Father of Taxonomy", developed the modern system of naming known as Binomial nomenclature
• Binomial nomenclature


  The two-part format of the scientific name of an organism (Genus & Species)
• Seven Levels of Classification

  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species
• Kingdom


  When Linnaeus first described his system, he named only two kingdoms - animals and plants. Today, scientists think there are at least five kingdoms - animals, plants, fungi, protists, and Monera (bacteria). Some scientists now support the idea of a sixth kingdom - viruses.
• Phylum


  Below the kingdom, major phyla in the animal kingdom include Chordata (animals with a backbone), Arthropoda (includes insects), and Mollusca (mollusks such as snails)
• Class


  Each phylum is then divided into classes, e.g. classes within the Chordata phylum include Mammalia (mammals), Reptilia (reptiles), and Osteichthyes (fish)
• Order


  The class will then be subdivided into order, e.g. within the class Mammalia, examples of the order include Cetaceans (including whales and dolphins), Carnivora (carnivores), Primates (monkeys, apes, and humans), and Chiroptera (bats)
• Family


  The order will then be subdivided into family, e.g. within the order Primates, example of the family include Hominidae (including great apes)
• Genus and Species


  These are the names that are most commonly used to describe an organism, two names are generally sufficient to differentiate from one organism to the next
• Ways to give a name to a species

  • Location where the organism was found
  • In honor of a person with some connection to the discovery
  • To reference a unique body part or behavior
• Students can use various Greek and Latin words in naming new discovered animal species