Activity 1 – Classification, Nomenclature and Identification

Biodiversity – the number of species and their range of behavioral, physiological, ecological, and other adaptations
in an area
Systematics –kinds and diversity of organisms and of any and all relationships among them
Phylogeny – evolutionary history and relationships of organisms
- Hypothesis about which species are closely related and in what order related species evolved
Taxonomy – theory and practice of classifying organisms
1. Classification – the ordering of populations and groups of populations at all levels by inductive procedures
2. Identification – placing of individuals into previously established classes that are named by deductive
procedures
3. Nomenclature – the application of distinctive names to each of the groups recognized in the classification
Taxon – a taxonomic group of any rank that is distinct to be worth of being assigned a definite category
Category – rank or level in a hierarchic classification
A. Classification
- Devising schemes to aid organisms
- Assigning names to these organisms
- Grouping them to what essentially a “filling system” so that information about them is established to
reflect what are thought to be relationships between similar forms

7 - Scheme of classification by Carolus Linnaeus

Kingdom
Phylum / Division
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Table 1.1. The classification of a few familiar organisms.

Pneumonia
Category Amoeba Bread Mold Rice Horse
bacterium
Kingdom Eubacteria Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia

Phylum Gracilicutes Sarcodina Zygomycota Magnoliophyta Chordata

Class Lobosea Zygomycetes Liliopsida Mammalia

Order Eubacteriales Amoebida Mucorales Poales Ungulata

Family Enterobacteriaceae Amoebidae Mucoraceae Poaceae Equidae

Genus Klebsiella Amoeba Rhizopus Oryza Equus

Species pneumoniae proteus stolonifer sativa caballus

Klebsilla Amoeba Rhizopus

Scientific name Oryza sativa Equus caballus
pneumoniae proteus stolonifer
B. Nomenclature
1. Common Names – vernacular names, less precise than scientific names
2. Scientific Names – used by scientists throughout the world; more universally accepted
o Follows the International Code of Nomenclature
 Binomial nomenclature – Genus and species ( specific epithet )
 Latin or latinized
 Ex. Homo sapiens ( typewritten ) or Homo sapiens ( hand written )

Table 1.2. Some common Greek and Latin names used in forming scientific names.

actino Ray formis shape poly many

alba white grandis large quadri four
angularis angle helios sun quinta five
aureum Gold hetero different radiata ray
bi Two homo same rhizum root
cauda Tail leucos white / gray rhodo red
cephalum head lineatus lined roseum pink
chloro green lobus lobed sativum common
chryso gold luteus white striatus striated
clado branch macro large tetra four
communis society micro small tri three
crena notch mono one undulates wavy
dactylon finger multi many unglatis claw / hoof
dendro tree nigra black uni one
dentatus tooth nudus naked variegatum irregularly colored
di two pachy thick vermis worm
digitatus finger palma palm vulgaris common
flavum yellow penta five
floris flower phaeo brown
folium leaf phyla leaf

C. Dichotomous Taxonomic Keys

- Devise used for determining the identity of organisms
1. Natural – express relationship of the organisms included
2. Artificial – serves as a tool for the separation of similar but not identical kinds of organisms

Taxonomic character – features | Key character – most distinguishing feature

A dichotomous key to the classes

of Subphylum Vertebrata

1 with fins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 lead

1’ without fins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2 with jaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
couplet
2’ without jaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Agnatha
3 with cartilaginous endoskeleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Chondrichthyes
3’ with bony endoskeleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Osteichthyes
4 with hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Mammalia
4’ without hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5 with feathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Aves
5’ without feathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
6 with scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Reptilia
6’ without scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Amphibia
Table 1. Comparison of two specimens ( A & B ) for each of the five kingdoms.

Category Eubacteria Protists Fungi Plants Animals

A microscopic microscopic microscopic macroscopic macroscopic
Size
B microscopic macroscopic macroscopic macroscopic macroscopic
A + - - + -
Chlorophyll
B + + + -
A - + + + +
Organelles
B - + + + +
A - + - - +
Motility
B - - - - +
A + + + + -
Cell Wall
B + + + + -
A - - - + +
Organs
B - - - + +
A unicellular unicellular unicellular multicellular multicellular
Number of Cells
B unicellular multicellular multicellular multicellular multicellular
A Anabaena Paramecium Yeast Cotton Melicoides
Name
B Oscillatoria Sargassum mushroom Rosal Human

Table 2. Description of organisms based on specific epithet.

Organism Description
Pithecophaga jefferyi An animal named after Jeffrey.
Piper nigrum A black colored pepper.
Bubalus mindorensis A buffalo found in Mindoro.
Vigna radiata A rayed shrub or vine.
Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus A fish with a five-line pattern.
Gingko biloba A two-lobed leaf plant.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis A flower found in China.
Leucaena leucocephala A tree with white flowers.
Codiaeum variegatum A plant that is irregularly colored.
Brassaia actinophylla A tree with rayed leaves.

Table 3. Specific epithet of selected organisms based on description.

Organism Description Possible specific epithet

Epinephelus A fish with hexagonal markings hexalineatus
Fissidens A moss whose leaf margins are finely notched crenophylla
Swietenia A tree with large leaves macrophylla
Loxia A bird that is endemic to the pine regions of Luzon luzoniensis
Micrococcus A bacterium that produces a yellow pigment flavum