Classification Grouping organisms based on similarities
Classification
Grouping organisms based on similarities
Taxonomy- Taxonomy is the branch of biology that groups and
names organisms based on similar characteristics.
Early Taxonomy- Aristotle- (384-322 BC)
- Grouped plants by size and animals by where they live.
- Not very affectiveAnimals Plants
Air –fly, bird, bat Herbs-sage, tea, pepper
Water-seal, fish, frog Shrubs- grass, rose bush
Land- dog, lizard, cat Trees- oak, pine, maple
Linnaeus’s System-Linnaeus (1707-1778) – grouped organisms based on
structural similarities.
Ex. Mammals have fur and reptiles have scales
Taxonomic Rankings-From larger groups to smaller groups
Kingdom King
Phylum Phillip
Class Came
Order Over
Family For
Genius Good
SpeciesSpaghetti
Binomial Nomenclature-used to name organisms
-first word is genus (capital)
-second word is species (lower case)
- Italicized when typed and underlined written.
Ex. Homo sapiens = humans
Homo= genus
sapiens= species
Phylogenetic Trees and Cladograms
• Branching diagrams that shows the evolutionary history of organisms based on derived traits
Cladogram
Dichotomous Keys-dichotomous keys characterize organisms by splitting
them into groups based on characteristics. Used to identify unknown organisms.
1.Has feathers yes go to 2
no go to 3
2. Swims yes go to 4
no go to 5
3. Has Legs yes go to 6
no go to 7
4. Duck
5. Hen
6. Lizard
7. Snake