Transcript Taxonomy - rosedale11universitybiology

Classifying
the Diversity
of Living
Organisms
What is Taxonomy?
• Taxonomy is the practice of
classifying organisms.
• The Swedish botanist
Carolus Linnaeus developed
the current taxonomic
system in the 1700’s.
• He grouped organisms by
their physical
characteristics. Now, we
also use genetic and
biochemical information to
classify organisms.
Carolus Linnaeus
Hierarchical Classification
• There are 7 different groups called taxa
(singular - taxon) that are used to classify
organisms
• Kingdom is the largest and most general
taxon. Species is the smallest taxon – it
includes only a single type of organism.
• Individuals of the same species can interbreed
and produce fertile offspring.
The order of taxa from biggest to smallest
Name of Taxon
Analogy
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Country
Province
City
Neighbourhood
Smallest Taxon
Family
Genus
Species
Street
Street number
Apartment number
Remember this phrase:
King Philip Came Over From Germany Swimming
Biggest taxon
Example
Classification of
a Panther
Naming Organisms (Nomenclature)
• Nomenclature means a naming system. Biologists use binomial
nomenclature to give every species a two-word scientific name.
• The two part scientific name starts with the genus (first letter
capitalized) followed by the species name (all lower case letters).
Example) Common name – cat
Scientific name – Felis domesticus
Why do we use scientific names?
• Common names are not universal, whereas scientific
names are
• Scientific names tell us about the organism’s
evolutionary history
Human
Box Elder
Tree
Bobcat
Canadian
lynx
Kingdom
Animalia
Plantea
Animalia
Animalia
Phylum/Division
Chordata
Anthophyta
Chordata
Chordata
Class
Mammalian
Dicotyledonae
Mammalia
Mammalia
Order
Primates
Sapindales
Carnivora
Carnivora
Family
Hominidae
Aceracae
Felidae
Felidae
Genus
Homo
Acer
Lynx
Lynx
Species
sapiens
nugundo
rufus
canadensis