Classification

What is Classification?

Biologists want to better understand organisms so they organize them.• Classification = the grouping of objects or

information based on similarities.• Taxonomy = the branch of biology that groups and

names organisms based on studies of their different characteristics.

Aristotle’s Classification

• Animals were classified by where they lived.– Land dwellers– Water dwellers– Air dwellers

• Plants were classified as:– Herbs– Shrubs– Trees

Carolus Linnaeus

• Swedish naturalist formulated a system called Binomial Nomenclature.– Two word naming system (all organisms given

scientific names)– Consists of the genus & species– Latin Words / Italicized– Ex:• Man = Homo (genus) sapien (species)• Bobcat = Lynx (genus) rufus (species)

How Living Things are Classified Today

• The smallest taxon is species.– Organisms that look alike and successfully

interbreed belong to the same species.

• The next largest taxon is a genus.– A group of similar species that have similar

features and are closely related.

Taxonomy

• Domain– Consists of one or more kingdoms

• Kingdom– Taxon of similar phyla

• Phylum– Taxon of similar classes

• Class– Taxon of similar orders

• Order– Taxon of similar families

• Family– Consists of a group of similar genera

• Genus• Species

Most Broad Taxon

Most Specific Taxon

Example: Man• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Chordata (backbone-like structure)

• Class: Mammalia (female produce milk for their young)

• Order: Primate (stand upright)

• Family: Hominidae (manlike structure)

• Genus: Homo (true man)

• Species: sapien (wise)

Remainder of Class

• Be on task!! The information you record today will be used (tentative) to build a cladogram (future topic)

• Make sure to research thoroughly to get the best information

You’ll be using this in the future!