Classification
The
Basics
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Species of Organisms
•There are 13 billion known
species of organisms
•This is only 5% of all
organisms that ever lived!!!!!
•New organisms are still being
found and identified
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What is Classification?
Classification is the
arrangement of organisms into
orderly groups based on their
similarities
Classification is also known as
taxonomy
Taxonomists are scientists that
identify & name organisms
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Benefits of Classifying
•organisms
Accurately & uniformly names
•Prevents misnomers:
(mis – wrong; nome – name)
such as starfish & jellyfish
that aren't really fish
Uses same language (Latin or
some Greek) for all names
•
Sea”horse”??
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Confusion in Using Different
Languages for Names
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Latin Names are Understood by
all Taxonomists
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Early Taxonomists
•2000 years ago,
Aristotle was the
first taxonomist
Aristotle divided
organisms into
plants & animals
He subdivided
them by their
habitat ---land,
sea, or air dwellers
•
•
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Early Taxonomists
•John Ray, a
botanist, was
the first to
use Latin for
naming
His names
were very long
descriptions
telling
everything
about the plant
•
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Carolus Linnaeus
1707 – 1778
• 18th century
taxonomist
• Called the
•
“Father of
Taxonomy”
Classified
organisms by
their structure
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Carolus Linnaeus
•Developed naming system
still used today
•It is called:
binomial nomenclature
It is a two-word name
using the Genus and
species
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Standardized Naming
•Binomial
nomenclature used
•Genus species
•Latin or Greek
•Italicized in print
•Capitalize Genus,
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
but NOT species
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Binomial Nomenclature
Which TWO are more closely related?
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Classification Groups
• Taxon ( taxa-plural) is a
•
category into which related
organisms are placed
There is a hierarchy (ranking)
of groups (taxa) from least
specific to most specific
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Hierarchy-Taxonomic Groups
Least Specific
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
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Most
Specific
14
Dumb
King
Phillip
Came
Over
For
Great
Soup!
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Modern Taxonomy
•Classification is based on
evidence of evolutionary
relationships
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Types of Evidence
1.Homologous structures (same
structure, different function)
2.Similar embryo development
3.Similarity in hereditary
material (DNA, RNA, or
amino acid sequence of
Proteins)
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Homologous Structures (BONES in the FORELIMBS) shows
similarities in mammals.
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Similarities in Vertebrate
Embryos
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Cladogram
Diagram showing how organisms are related
based on shared, derived characteristics such
as feathers, hair, or scales
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Primate
Cladogram
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The Taxa
Domains and Kingdoms
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Domains
•Broadest, most inclusive taxon
•Three domains:
1. Archea and
2. Bacteria are unicellular
prokaryotes (no nucleus/organelles)
3. Eukarya – all members are
eukaryotic (have nucleus/organelles)
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Domain Archea
Kingdom Archeabacteria:
Probably the 1st cells to evolve
(about 3.5 billion years ago!)
Live in harsh environments
Have cell walls (made of
protein)
Members can be autotrophs or
heterotrophs
•
•
•
•
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Domain Archea, cont.
•Members found in:
1. Sewage treatment plants
2. Hot, acidic environments
such as volcanic vents or hot
springs
3. Very salty water (Dead Sea
or Great Salt Lake)
4. Long-frozen ice –
Antarctica and glaciers
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ARCHAEAN
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Domain Bacteria
Kingdom Eubacteria:
Some may cause disease
Found in all habitats except
harsh ones
Also have cell walls (made of
protein)
Members can be autotrophs
or heterotrophs
•
•
•
•
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Domain Bacteria, cont.
Members are:
Important decomposers
for the environment
Commercially important in
making cottage cheese,
yogurt, buttermilk, etc.
•
•
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Live in the intestines of animals
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Domain Eukarya
Divided into 4 Kingdoms:
1.Protista
2.Fungi
3.Plantae
4.Animalia
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Protista
•Most are unicellular
•Some are multicellular
•Some are autotrophs, some
are heterotrophs
•Some have cell walls (made of
cellulose)
•Some have chloroplasts
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Kingdom Protista is often
referred to as:
The Junk Drawer Kingdom
This is because it is where
scientists put organisms that do
not fit in any other kingdom!
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Protists
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Fungi
• All members are multicellular,
except for yeasts
• Absorptive heterotrophs (break
•
down food outside body, then
absorb it)
Have cell walls made of chitin (a
carbohydrate)
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Fungi
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Plantae
• All members are multicellular
• Autotrophic (Absorb sunlight to
make glucose – photosynthesis)
• Have cell walls made of cellulose
(a carbohydrate)
• Have chloroplasts (for
photosynthesis) and a central
vacuole (for water storage/cell
support)
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Plantae
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Animalia
•All members are multicellular
•Ingestive heterotrophs
(consume food and digest it
inside their bodies)
Feed on producers and/or
consumers
No cell walls or chloroplasts
Have small vacuoles for fluid
storage
•
•
•
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Cladogram Questions
1.In cladogram A, the earliest life forms are?
2.The 1 Eukaryotes in Cladogram A are?
3.In cladogram A, the earliest animals were?
4.From Cladogram A, List all organisms classified
as Arthropods.
5.Cladogram B, List all derived characters.
6.From Cladogram B, you can assume that birds are
closely related to __________
7.The only organism to not have an Amniotic egg
was the ___________
8.In cladogram B, list all derived traits of a snake.
9.What is the definition of a cladogram?
st
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