INTRODUCTION TO

ZOOLOGY

copyright cmassengale 1
 Species of Organisms

• There are 13 billion known

species of organisms
• This is only 5% of all
organisms that ever lived!!!!!
• New organisms are still being
found and identified

copyright cmassengale 2
 What is Classification?

■ Classification is the
arrangement of organisms into
orderly groups based on their
similarities
■ Classification is also known as
taxonomy
■ Taxonomists are scientists that
identify & name organisms

copyright cmassengale 3
 Benefits of Classifying

• Accurately & uniformly names

organisms
• Prevents misnomers such as
starfish & jellyfish that aren't
really fish
• Uses same language (Latin or
some Greek) for all names
Sea”horse”??

copyright cmassengale 4
Confusion in Using Different
Languages for Names

copyright cmassengale 5
Latin Names are Understood
by all Taxonomists

copyright cmassengale 6
 Standardized Naming
•Binomial
Turdus migratorius
nomenclature used
•Genus species
•Latin or Greek
•Italicized in print
•Capitalize genus, but
NOT species
•Underline when
writing

copyright cmassengale
American Robin
7
 Binomial Nomenclature

Which TWO are more closely related?

copyright cmassengale 8
 Rules for Naming Organisms

• The International Code for

Binomial Nomenclature contains
the rules for naming organisms
• All names must be approved by
International Naming Congresses
(International Zoological
Congress)
• This prevents duplicated names

copyright cmassengale 9
 Classification Groups
• Taxon ( taxa-plural) is a category
into which related organisms are
placed
• There is a hierarchy of groups
(taxa) from broadest to most
specific
• Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class,
Order, Family, Genus, species
■

copyright cmassengale 10
 Hierarchy-Taxonomic Groups

■ Domain BROADEST TAXON

■ Kingdom
■ Phylum
■ Class
■ Order
■ Family

■ Genus Most
Specific
■ Species
copyright cmassengale 11
 ■ Dumb
■ King

■ Phillip

■ Came

■ Over

■ For

■ Gooseberry

■ Soup!
copyright cmassengale 12
copyright cmassengale 13
 SPECIES

■ Group of organisms that resemble closely in

structure and function
■ Most specific classification unit
■ Like species breed with like species
■ Written in italics and is lower case
 Genus

■ Written in italics and capitalized

FAMILY
ORDER
Class
 Phylum

■ Animal kingdom contains about 35 phyla (9 contain the

most)
■ Plant kingdom contains about 12 phyla (or divisions)

*THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TAXON IN ZOOLOGY*

KINGDOMS of EUKARYA
Protista (the single-celled eukaryotes)

Fungi (fungus and related organisms)

Plantae (the plants)

Animalia (the animals)

Archaebacteria (ancient bacteria)

Eubacteria (true bacteria)

 Domain

Eukarya
• Fungi, animals, plants, protists
(multicellular)
Bacteria
• Prokaryotic organisms (unicellular)
Archea
• Survive in extreme environments
(unicellular)
copyright cmassengale 22