Classification of Living Things Taxonomy is the science

Classification of Living Things Taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming organisms.

1 st Person to Classify Living Things • Aristotle – (384 – 322 B. C. ) – Greek philosopher, grouped plants and animals into separate kingdoms, then divided those 4

Latin • Each unit used was called a genus, which comes from the Latin word for group.

For example: The European honeybee’s name was: Apis pubescens thorace subgriseo abdominc fusco pedibus posticis glabis unfrinque margine ciliatus.

• Which means: • Hairy bee, underside of its thorax gray, abdomen striped, feet positioned to the rear, smooth, with outer areas on both sides having fine hairs.

• Carolus Linnaeus – (1707 -1778) – is called the father of modern taxonomy. • His goal was to catalog all known organisms. • By the 1750’s he had many books with polynomials for organisms that were completed. However, he used a two word Latin name for each organism. • For Example: • The European Honeybee became Apis mellifera.

Classification • From general to specific. • Domain – Most broad • Kingdom • Phylum • Class • Order • Family • Genus • Species – Most specific

Domain Kingdoms Characteristics Cell Type Cell Structure Examples Body Type Nutrition Example Bacteria Eubacteria Prokaryotic Cell wall Uni Auto & Hetero E. coli Archaebacteria Prokaryotic Cell wall Uni Auto & Hetero Methanogens Eukarya Protista Eukaryotic Mixed Uni & Multi Auto & Hetero Amoeba Euglena Eukarya Fungi Eukaryotic Cell wall Uni & Multi Hetero Yeast mushroom Eukarya Plantae Eukaryotic Cell wall Multi Auto Ferns Trees Eukarya Animalia Eukaryotic No Cell wall Multi Hetero Bird Worm

Phylogenic Tree • A phylogenic tree shows the evolutionary relationship between organisms. • The characteristics that make the next animal unique are listed on the main trunk of the tree.

Dichotomous keys • Dichotomous key – a special guide used to aid in identification of unknown organisms. • The key consists of several pairs of descriptive statements that have only two responses. • After picking the appropriate response the person is directed to the next pair of statements and eventually identifies the

• Examples: • Human – Homo sapiens Green Anole lizard – Anolis carolinensis Carolina Chickadee – Parus carolinensis • Both are from North & South Carolina. • Robin – North America – Turdus migratorius Great Britain – Erithacus rubicula

• Dichotomous key – a special guide used to aid in identification of unknown organisms. • The key consists of several pairs of descriptive statements that have only two responses. • After picking the appropriate response the person is directed to the next pair of statements and eventually identifies the organism.