What is the importance
of classifying things?
It makes it easier …
• To organize
• To identify
• To easily communicate with
others
What is Classification?
• Classification is placing things into
categories based on similar
characteristics
 Taxonomy
science of
classifying
organisms.
is the
Aristotle
( 384 - 322 B.C.)
• Greek philosopher and naturalist
• 1st to classify organisms
• Too simple of a classification system to
be effective
• Two kingdoms: Plants or Animals
Carolus Linneus
( 1707-1798)
• each species had a
unique form and could be
classified by some of its
key characteristics (which
now includes DNA)
• organized life in a ladderlike hierarchy, with plants
on the bottom, animals in
the middle, and humans
on top
7 Taxa of Classification – categories of classification; many
smaller taxa are placed under the larger category above it
• Kingdom- very
general; most diverse;
most inclusive
• Species- most
specific; least diverse;
most exclusive
DOMAIN
KINGDOM
PHYLUM
CLASS
ORDER
FAMILY
GENUS
SPECIES
How Can You Remember the 7 Taxon levels?
• King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti
• Kids Play Chess Over Favorite Gooey Snacks
• Katie Please Come Over For Ginger Snaps
 Can you come up with your own pneumonic?
• K? P? C? O? F?
G?
S?
Grizzly bear Black bear
Giant
panda
Red fox
Coral Sea star
Abert
squirrel snake
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Chordata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Carnivora
FAMILY Ursidae
GENUS Ursus
SPECIES Ursus arctos
Carolus Linnaeus
(1707 – 1778 A.D.)
1. 1732, came up with the
universal 2 word-naming
system called BINOMIAL
NOMENCLATURE
2. Based on the dead language
called LATIN
3. Each organism has a GENUS
and SPECIES name
4. It is the system still used
today
Binomial Nomenclature –
Linneaus’ two-word naming system
GENUS is
- Capitalized
- Written 1st
- can be underlined or
italicized (not both)


 SPECIES is
- Lowercase
- Written 2nd
- can be underlined or
italicized (not both)
Panthera leo
Lion
Drosophila melanogaster
Fruit fly
Canis lupus
Wolf
Do you know the scientific name for humans?
That’s right! Homo sapiens
An identification key that contains pairs of
contrasting descriptions is called a
Dichotomous Key.
How To Use a Dichotomous Key
1. a. Insect has wings ………. Go to 2
b. Insect has no wings…….. Go to 9
2. a. Insect has 2 wings …….. Go to 3
b. Insect has 4 wings …….. Go to 12
3. a. Wings are of equal size ….. Apis mellifera
(honeybee)
b. Wings are of unequal size …. Go to 5