How do we

intend to study 2
million species?
Organizing

When you are organized, you are

more than likely to find whatever
you are looking for, thus saving
time, money and energy!
3
How do you
use
classification
everyday?
 Biologists have
organized living
things with similarities
into groups so that
the organisms are
easier to study.
Biological
Classification
Taxonomy is the branch of
science that groups or names
organisms based on studies of
their different characteristics.
8
 Systems of Classification
Aristotle
(4th century BC)
–He developed a
system that
classified
organisms as
either plants or
animals.
 Plants Animals
Based on
appearance,
Green organisms behavior,
that cannot fly, movement (fly,
swim, walk, swim, and
crawl, or run walk/crawl/run
)
 What was the
problem with his
system of
classification?
Aristotle’s System
Although this was a good attempt on
Aristotle’s part, it simply was not accurate
enough in classifying to relate true species.

16
Aristotle’s System

As time passed, more

species were discovered
& some did not fit
easily into Aristotle’s
system of classification.
17
Systems of
Classification
Carolus Linnaeus (1750s)
– a Swedish Botanist
developed a
wonderful method of
classifying organisms
properly.
Systems of
Classification
Carolus Linnaeus (1750s)
– His system was based
upon classifying
organisms according to
organism's physical and
structural similarities.
Linnaean
System
For example, he
might use the
similarities in flower
parts as a basis for
classifying
flowering plants.
Linnaean
System
Linnaeus’ System
became the
foundational way for
today’s modern
classification systems.
21
Linnaean System

Organisms
are grouped
and ranked in
a “Taxon”
22
Linnaean System
• A taxon is a further broken-down level of
classification found within each
kingdom.

• Organisms that look alike & successfully

interbreed to produce a fertile offspring belong to
the same species.
23
 Just like our
address in the
universe!
Taxa by Linnaeus
• Kingdom • King
• Phylum • Phillip
• Class • Came
• Order • Over
• Family • For
• Genus • Good
• Species • Spaghetti
Levels of Classification
Species
Organisms are
grouped by their Genus
shared
characteristics.
Family
Order
Class
Taxonomists give a unique name
(scientific name) to each species
they know about whether it’s alive
today or extinct.
Binomial Nomenclature

It is a two-word
naming system
called developed
by Linnaeus to
identify species.
29
Latin is a dead
language.
Binomial Nomenclature
• A genus (plural form = genera) consists of
a group of similar species FIRST NAME.

• The SECOND NAME, the specific epithet /

species name often times describe a
characteristic of the organism, immediately
follows the genus name.
31
Binomial Nomenclature
• Thus, the scientific name of each
species = the genus name, followed
by the specific epithet / species
name.

• For example: the scientific name of

modern humans is Homo
sapiens. 32
Binomial Nomenclature

"Formal" scientific
names should have a
third part, the authority.
The authority is NOT
italicized or underlined.
Rosa alba L.
Rosa alba L.

Genus
Rosa alba L.

Genus species
Rosa alba L.

authority
Genus species
(Linnaeus)
Tritonia khaleesi
Silva 2013
Otocinclus batmani
Lehmann 2006
Ampulex dementor
Ohl 2014
What is the problem
with his system of
classification?
 Classification Today

Species with similar

evolutionary histories are
classified more closely
together.
 Systematics

Systematics is the study of the evolution of

biological diversity. It employs the study of
phylogeny or the evolutionary history of an
organism.
A phylogenetic tree is a family
tree that shows a hypothesis
about the evolutionary
relationships thought to exist
among groups of organisms.
Phylogenetic trees are
usually based on a
combination of different
lines of evidence.
Taxa by Linnaeus
• Kingdom • King
• Phylum • Phillip
• Class • Came
• Order • Over
• Family • For
• Genus • Good
• Species • Spaghetti
Modern Taxa
• Domain • DEAR
• Kingdom • King
• Phylum • Phillip
• Class • Came
• Order • Over
• Family • For
• Genus • Good
• Species • Spaghetti
Domains of Life
Archaea
Bacteria
Domains
Archaea
Prokaryotes
Bacteria
Eukaryotes