Lesson 1

The History of Classification

 Focus Question

How and why do we classify animals?

 New Vocabulary

classification class
taxonomy order
domain family
kingdom genus
phylum taxon

division binomial nomenclature

 Early Systems of Classification

• Classification is the grouping of objects or

organisms based on a set of criteria.
• Biologists use a system of classification to
organize information about the diversity of
living things.
 Early Systems of Classification

Aristotle’s System
• Organisms were classified as plants or
animals.
• Animals were divided into “red blooded”
and “bloodless” and by habitat.
• Plants were divided by size and structure.
Early Systems of Classification
 Early Systems of Classification

Linnaeus’s System
• Linnaeus’s system of classification was based
on observations of morphology and habitat.
• The Linnaean system was the first formal
system of taxonomy.
• Taxonomy is the discipline of biology primarily
concerned with identifying, naming, and
classifying species based on natural
relationships.
 Binomial Nomenclature

• Linnaeus’s method of naming organisms, called

binomial nomenclature, remains valid today.
• Binomial nomenclature gives each species a
scientific name that has two parts.
• The first part is the genus name. The second part
is the species (Or specific epithet)
• Example: domestic cat
Genus: Felis
Species catus
 Taxonomic Categories

• Taxonomic categories are hierarchically

system to make it easier to study the
organisms and see the relationship among
them.
• The categories are arranged from broadest
to most specific.
 Higher Taxa

• Domain is the highest level of classification.

3 domains (Archaea, Bacteria, Eukarya)
• Kingdom: organisms are grouped into kingdoms
based on their characteristics
Each kingdom is divided into phylum
• A phylum or division contains related classes.
• A class contains related orders.
• An order contains related families.
 Higher Taxa

Family
• A family is the next taxon, consisting of similar,
related genera.

Genus and Species

• A genus is defined as a group of species that are
closely related and share a common ancestor.

• The figure on the next slide shows how the taxa

are organized into a hierarchical system.
• A named group of organisms is called a taxon.
Higher Taxa
 Early Systems of Classification

Modern Classification Systems

• The study of evolution during the 1800s
added new dimension to Linnaeus’s system.
• Scientists began to infer evolutionary
relationships in their classification systems.
• Today’s classification systems are rooted in
the work of Linnaeus but have been modified
to reflect our knowledge of evolutionary
ancestry.
 Quiz

1. On what did Linnaeus base his classification?

A evolutionary relationship

B morphology and habitat CORRECT

C derived characters

D binomial nomenclature
 Quiz
2. Which animal is the most distant relative to the others?

A wolf C blue whale CORRECT

B domestic cat D coyote

 Quiz

3. At which level does the domestic cat diverge from

the coyote?

A class

B family
CORRECT
C order

D genus
 Quiz

4. Who developed the first widely accepted system

of biological classification?

A Linnaeus

B Darwin

C Aristotle CORRECT

D Lamarck
 Quiz

5. Which taxon is composed of related phyla or

divisions?

A domain C order

B kingdom D class
CORRECT