Diversity of Life:

Introduction to
Biological
Classification

JOSHUA L. DONATO

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 Why Do We Classify Organisms?

 Biologists group organisms to

represent similarities and
proposed relationships.
 Classification systems change
with expanding knowledge Tacitus bellus

about new and well-known

organisms.

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 Classification
 Binomial Nomenclature
 Two-part name (Genus, species)
 Hierarchical Classification
 Seven Taxonomic Categories
 Systematics Leucaena leucocephala
Lead tree
 Study of the evolution of
biological diversity

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 Binomial Nomenclature

 Carolus von Linnaeus

 Two-word naming system
 Genus
 Noun, Capitalized,
Underlined or Italicized
Carolus von Linnaeus
 Species (1707-1778)

Swedish scientist who laid

 Descriptive, Lower Case, the foundation for modern
taxonomy
Underlined or Italicized

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Hierarchical Classification
 Taxonomic categories
 Kingdom King
 Phylum Philip
 Class Came
 Order Over
 Family For
 Genus Green
 Species Soup

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Kingdoms and Domains

The three-domain system

Bacteria Archaea Eukarya

The six-kingdom system

Bacteria Archaea Protista Plantae Fungi Animalia

The traditional five-kingdom system

Monera Protista Plantae Fungi Animalia

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Systematics: Evolutionary Classification of Organisms
 Systematics is the study of the evolution of biological
diversity and combines data from the following areas.
 Fossil record
 Comparative homologies
 Cladistics
 Comparative sequencing of DNA/RNA among
organisms
 Molecular clocks

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 Taxonomic Diagrams

Mammals Turtles Lizards and Crocodiles Birds Mammals Turtles Lizards and Crocodiles Birds
Snakes Snakes

Phylogenetic Cladogram
Tree

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 Dichotomous Keys Identify Organisms
 Dichotomous keys versus evolutionary classification
 Dichotomous keys contain pairs of contrasting descriptions.
 After each description, the key directs the user to another pair
of descriptions or identifies the organism.

Example:
1. a) Is the leaf simple? Go to 2
b) Is the leaf compound? Go to 3
2. a) Are margins of the leaf jagged? Go to 4
b) Are margins of the leaf smooth? Go to 5

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Biodiversity
 Biodiversity (Biological Diversity) - is all the different
kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of
animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like
bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of
these species and organisms work together in
ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance
and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in
nature that we need to survive food, clean water,
medicine, and shelter.
 Biodiversity is important to most aspects of our lives.
We value biodiversity for many reasons, some
utilitarian, some intrinsic. This means we value
biodiversity both for what it provides to humans, and
for the value it has in its own right.

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 Importance of Biodiversity
 Basic needs humans obtain from biodiversity such as food, fuel,
shelter, and medicine.
 Ecosystems provide crucial services such as pollination, seed
dispersal, climate regulation, water purification, nutrient cycling,
and control of agricultural pests.
 Holds value for potential benefits not yet recognized, such as
new medicines and other possible unknown services.
 Biodiversity has cultural value to humans as well, for spiritual or
religious reasons for instance.
 The intrinsic value of biodiversity refers to its inherent worth,
which is independent of its value to anyone or anything else.
 Biodiversity is important because they can influence the
conservation decisions people make every day.

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