Classification

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Classification
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Classification

• Taxonomy branch of biology that groups organisms
  based on the presence of similar characteristics
• Taxonomist scientist who group and name
  organisms after studying differences in their
  physical characteristics

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Benefits of Classification

• Accurately and uniformly names organisms
• Prevents misnomers
• Jellyfish
• Starfish
• Uses same language to name all organisms
• Latin or sometimes Greek

Seahorse??
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History of Classification

• Aristotle (382-322 BC)
• 1st to divide and classify organisms
• Based on where organism spends most of its life
  (air, water, etc)
• Divided them into two groups
• Plants herbs, shrubs, trees
• Animals land, air, water

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History of Classification

• Based on Aristotles system, how would you
  classify the following?
• Bats, birds, lizards, wolves, walrus, dolphins,
  goldfish, sea urchins, horse, koala, frogs,
  stingrays, wasp
• Land Air Water

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History of Classification

• What are some problems with this form of
  classification??
• Some organisms are grouped together even though
  they dont have much in common
• Some organisms do not fit easily into Aristotles
  system
• Walrus???
• Frog???

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History of Classification

• Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778)
• Based on physical similarities
• between organisms
• Problem
• Organisms given misleading common names OR one
  species given more than one common name
• Solution
• Use latin to assign an unchanging global
  scientific name to identify a species
• Binomial Nomenclature

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Binomial Nomenclature

• Two Names
• 1st name the genus (uppercase)
• 2nd name a descriptive name (lowercase)
• Helps scientists researching the same organism in
  different countries/languages!

Common Name House Sparrow (US) Gorrion (Spain)
Musch (Hollond) Hussparf (Sweden)
Scientific Name Passer domesticus
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Modern Taxonomy

• Groups organisms based on evolutionary
  relationships
• Based on similarities in
• External/Internal Structure
• Breeding Behavior
• Geographical Distribution
• Chromosome comparisons
• Biochemistry

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Modern Taxonomy

• Provides a way to study relationships among
  organisms both living and extinct
• Start with broad categories with general
  characteristics and then subdivide organisms by
  looking at characteristics specific to different
  organisms
• The MORE similarities between 2 organisms more
  closely related!!!

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Organisms are Classified in a Hierarchy of Taxa

• Taxon group of organisms
• Domain- Eukarya  Kingdom- Animalia     Phylum-
  Chordata        Subphylum- Vertebrata          C
  lass- Mammalia              Order-
  Carnivora                  Family-
  Canidae                      Genus-
  Canis                         Species- Canis
  lupus                           Subspecies-
  Canis lupus familiaris

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Taxonomy

• Mnemonic Device to remember taxon groups
• Dumb King Phillip Came Over For Good Spaghetti
• Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family,
  Genus, Species