Taxonomy

• Biologists want to better understand organisms so they organize them.

• One tool that they use to do this is classification—the grouping of objects or information based on

similarities.

CLASSIFICATION

• Biologists who study taxonomy are called taxonomists.

• Taxonomy is the branch of biology that groups and names organisms based on studies of their different characteristics.

How classification began…

• He classified all the organisms he knew into two groups: plants and animals.

• The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) developed the first widely accepted system of

biological classification.

Aristotle’s System

• He grouped animals according to various characteristics, including their habitat and physical

differences.

• He subdivided plants into three groups, herbs, shrubs, and trees, depending on the size and structure of a plant.

Aristotle’s System

• As time passed, more organisms were discovered and some did not fit easily into Aristotle’s groups, but many centuries passed before Aristotle’s system was replaced.

• According to his system, birds, bats, and flying insects are classified together even though they have little in

common besides the ability to fly.

Aristotle’s System

He improved the system of naming plants and

animals by a two‑word name to identify the genus and species.

“binomial nomenclature”

Carolus Linnaeus (1707‑1778), a

Swedish botanist

• Linnaeus’s system was based on physical and structural similarities of organisms.

• This way of organizing organisms is the basis of modern classification systems.

• Eventually, some biologists proposed that structural similarities reflect the evolutionary relationships of species.

Linnaeus’ System• Linnaeus’ showed relationships among

organisms.

• In this system, the first word identifies the genus of the organism.

• Modern classification systems use a two-word naming system called binomial nomenclature that Linnaeus developed to identify species.

• A genus (JEE nus) (plural, genera) consists of a group of similar species.

Species Scientific Names

• The second word, which sometimes describes a characteristic of the organism, is called the specific epithet.

• Thus, the scientific name for each species, referred to as the species name, is a combination of the genus name and specific epithet.

Homo sapiens

Species Scientific Names

Homo = Genus, sapiens = “wise man”

Naming Organisms

Why do we need to name organisms?

What is the name of this organism?

Why do scientists not want to use

common names?

The common name of many animals can be misleading.

Ceylon frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger) is a bird.

Killer whales (Orcinus orca )are the largest member of the dolphin family.

Flying fish (Parezocoetus mesogaster) do not fly, but glide.

Seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae) is not a horse, but a fish.

Why do scientist not use common names?

Confusing – more than one common name

Misleading – starfish is not a fish

Why use a scientific name?

There is only one scientific name

Felis concolor

Species Scientific Names

United States and England- Sparrow

Spain – gorrion domestico

Holland – huismus

Scientific name: Passer domesticus

What language is used for the scientific naming?

LATINWhat are the 2 parts of the scientific name?

Genus (Latin for group) species general description exact kind

organisms share a major only 1 kind of organism

characteristic within a genus

Scientific Name

Recognizing Relationships Tell me something about each of these organisms.

Carnegiea gigantea

Nymphaea odorata

Canis familiaris

Peromyscus californicus

Viola tricolor

giant saguaro cactus

fragrant water lily

domestic dog

common California mouse

three color pansy

Genus + speciesnames should be used when

referring to an organism.Species name alone is not

enough.

Drosophila melanogaster is a fruit fly.

Thamnophis melanogaster is a garter snake.

What is the correct way to write the scientific name?drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster

D. melanogaster

Why are scientific names in Why are scientific names in Latin?Latin?

1. Latin is no longer used in conversation.

2. It’s tradition.

3. Universal.

* Always capitalize the Genus and not the species.

Worksheet:Writing the Scientific

Names of Animals

COMMONNAME GENUS + SPECIES SCIENTIFIC NAMEHuman Homo + sapiens Homo sapiensDog Canis + familiaris Canis familiarisSpanish lynx Felis + pardina FelispardinaTiger Panthera + tigris Panthera tigrisJaguar Panthera + onca Panthera oncaLeopard Panthera + pardus P. pardusBullfrog Rana + catesbeiana rana catesbeianaCameroon Toad Bufo + superciliaris Bufo superciliarisHouston Toad Bufo + houstonensis Bufo houstonensisNile crocodile Crocodylus + niloticus Crocodylus niloticusCaiman Caiman + crocodilus Caiman crocodilusJamaican boa Epicrates + subflavus Epicrates subflavusPuerto Rican boa Epicrates + inornatus Epicrates inornatusJamaican iguana Cyclura + collei Cyclura ColleiMona iguana Cyclura + stejnegeri Cyclura stejnegeriDesert monitor Varanus + griseus Varanus griseusKomodo dragon Varnaus + komodoensis varanus KomodoensisAquatic box turtle Terrapene + coahuila Terrapene coahuilaPeregrine falcon Falco + peregrinus Falco peregrinusPiping plover Charadrius + melodus Charadrius melodusAudouin's gull Larus + audouinii Larus audouiniiRelict gull Larus + relictus Larus relictusTooth cave spider Leptoneta + myopica Leptoneta myopica

Question 4What is the difference between “classification” and “taxonomy?”

AnswerClassification is the grouping of objects or information based on similarities. Taxonomy is the branch of biology that classifies and names organisms based on their different characteristics.

Question 5What are the two parts that make up binomial nomenclature?

AnswerBinomial nomenclature comprises a genus name followed by a specific epithet.