TAXONOMY

• Father of taxonomy


  Carl Linnaeus
• Carl Linnaeus


  • Recorded descriptions on many known plant species
  • Used his knowledge of plant anatomy and morphology to establish a system of descriptions for their classification
• Carl Linnaeus put forth a "system of hierarchy" for classifying organisms
• Binomial system of nomenclature


  Gives two names unique to each biological species
• Taxon (plural, taxa)


  A unit for the classification of organisms
• Taxon


  Describes a certain set of organisms that have been grouped together on the basis of their similarities
• The organisms that were grouped together in the early Linnaean concepts of classification were purely based on: physical characteristics
• Linnaeus proposed a classification system based on: taxonomic hierarchy
• Major taxonomic ranks


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


  Separates organisms into the three-domain system, includes the Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea
• Kingdom


  The broadest classification that follows domains. Plants, animals, and fungi are classified into their own kingdoms
• Phylum


  The rank that follows a kingdom. This refers to the broad classifications of organisms that share common characteristics
• Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species


  The lower levels or ranks in the hierarchy after the phylum
• The higher levels in the taxonomic hierarchy, from domain to species, are arranged from most inclusive to most exclusive
• Ranks that are located at "lower levels" in the hierarchy tend to be more "exclusive" because of the relatively "lower number of organisms" they have
• Process of Classification


  These steps are performed in order to prevent confusion between similar species and to formally establish the natural existence of the organism for the scientific community
• Comparison and description


  1. Obtain and prepare specimen

  2. Describe characteristics (morphological and anatomical features)

  3. Compare with similar organisms

  4. Determine if organism is unique
• Molecular evidence analysis


  1. Analyze DNA sequences

  2. Determine if organism is novel
• Naming


  1. Give formal scientific name based on international standards

  2. Standards vary based on organism type (animal, plant, etc.)
• Classification


  1. Classify into existing ranks or give new rank based on uniqueness

  2. Determine evolutionary history to generate accurate classification
• Linnaeus is perhaps best-known for his proposal and use of: binomial nomenclature

  system.
• Each species has its own unique binomial name: Binomial Nomenclature
• a binomial name (commonly also referred to today as the scientific name) will only refer to: one species and that species alone.
• A binomial name is made up of two words, which include the:

  • genus name
  • the specific epithet.
• The first letter of the genus name should be capitalized. The first letter of the specific

  epithet should not be capitalized.
• When encoded digitally, the binomial name must be italicized.

  ○ Example: Orcinus orca
• When written down manually, the binomial name must be underlined separately.

  Space must not be underlined.

  ○ Example: Orcinus orca
• The names for both genus and specific epithet are usually derived from: Latin.
• This is because Latin is a dead language, which means that the definitions of its words are now

  unchanging.
• The use of a dead language ensures that the descriptions used in a scientific name are still applicable even as time passes.
• Aside from using words that describe the organism, sometimes, the scientific name may be based on the place or locality where the organism can be found or a person who has made a significant contribution to its discovery.
• A scientific name, when used in publications, should include the "authority" of the name on

  its first mention.
• The authority of a name: refers to the person who first used the scientific name.
• Plant: Arum maculatum L.

  ○ The “L.” in this case stands for “Linnaeus.”
• Animal: Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758)

  ○ The surname of the author and the year of description must be added in

  parentheses after the binomial name.
• The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, which is abbreviated as ICZN, governs the naming of animals.
• The International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants, which is abbreviated as ICN, governs the naming of the groups mentioned.
• Classifying organisms into hierarchical ranks and giving them binomial names have several

  benefits. Some of these include uniqueness, uniformity, and organization.
• Organization allows us to easily find information about an organism if we know its classification.
• The use of a binomial name is universal.