TAXONOMY

    Cards (45)

    • 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.
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