Classification & Taxonomy. Classification vs. Taxonomy Taxonomy – branch of biology that names and groups organisms according to similar characteristics.

Classification & Taxonomy

Classification vs. Taxonomy

Taxonomy – branch of biology that names and groups organisms according to similar characteristics

Classification – scheme or mechanism by which organisms are organized

first person to group or classify organisms into two groups

Plants vs. Animals

ARISTOTLE:

Aristotle’s System

Based onsize of stem

PLANTS:Based on where they lived

ANIMALS:

Problems?Not all organisms fit into Aristotle’s two groups

(plants or animals)

Ex: Bacteria & Fungi

Problems? Common names can be misleading

Sea cucumber sounds like a plant

but… it’s an animal!

Ex: A jelly fish isn’t a fish, but a seahorse is!

Problems?Common names vary from place to place

Ex: puma, catamount, mountain lion, cougar are all names for same animal

ProblemsSame organisms have different names in

different countries.

ChipmunkStreifenhornchen (German)Tamia (Italian)Ardilla listada (Spanish)

Middle Ages - SolutionSome early scientists devised scientific

names using long descriptions in LATIN.

Ex. RED OAK tree

Quercus foliis obtuse-sinuatis setaceo-mucronatis

“oak with leaves with deep blunt lobes bearing hairlike bristles”

PROBLEM w/ Latin Naming?

Names too long, hard to remember!

Names don’t show relationships between different animals

Carolus Linnaeus to the rescue!Carolus Linneaus:

devised a classification system based on _________________

(Organism’s form & structure)

(1707-1778)

MORPHOLOGY

Linnaeus’s SystemInvolved two components: 1.binomial nomenclature 2.heirarchy

Binomial Nomenclature:

Bi means twoNomen means

name

BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE(2 name naming system)

• 1st name = _______________– Always capitalized

•2nd name = _________________–Always lower case

•Both names are ______________ or written in ____________.

GENUS NAME

SPECIES IDENTIFIER

UNDERLINED ITALICS

Binomial nomenclature

Humans

Homo sapiens

Homo sapiens

Binomial Nomenclature

Vampire batDesmodus rotundus

Eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus

KingdomPhylum

ClassOrder

Family Genus

Species

King PhillipCameOverForGoodSpaghetti

SEVEN LEVELS OF TAXONOMIC ORGANIZATION

KingdomPhylum

Class Order

Family Genus

Species

Animalia

Chordata

Mammalia

Carnivora

Felidae

Panthera

leo

HEIRARCHY

So what do we use now?

Still uses Linnaeus’s system:

but we have added more _____________KINGDOMS

Remember: Aristotle only had 2.

MODERN TAXONOMY

Modern Taxonomy

Kingdom Pro/Eu Uni/Multi Cell

Auto/ Hetero

Ex

Archaebac-teria

Prokaryotic Unicellular Both Extremo-phile

Eubacteria Pro Uni Both E. Coli

Protista Eukaryotic Both Both Euglena, Amoeba

Fungi Eu Both Hetero Yeast, mushroom

Plant Eukaryotic Multi Auto Trees, Ferns

Animal Eu Multi Hetero Bird, shark