• Taxonomy is the study of how living things are classified
into groups.
• The groups that organisms are classified into are called taxa.
(Taxon if singular)
Organisms are
physical similarities
classified based
genetic similarities
on:
When a taxonomist discovers a new organism they start classifying it based on
certain characteristics…..first, they look at what kind of cell structure it
possesses.
Types of Cells
prokaryotic
eukaryotic
Once they
know this, they
can place the
organism in the
correct
Domain.
Domain is the most broad taxon.
There are three domains….
Types of Cells
prokaryotic
Domains
Archaea
Bacteria
eukaryotic
Eukaryota
Organisms in this Domain are
prokaryotic, small, and survive in
extreme “unlivable” conditions
Organisms in this Domain are
prokaryotic, larger than Archaea, and
live in hospitable conditions
Organisms in this Domain are made
of eukaryotic cells, more complex
than bacteria
In which Domain would they classify a human?
Next, they would need to decide which Kingdom it belonged in…
Types of Cells
Domains
Kingdoms
prokaryotic
Archaea
Archaebacteria
Bacteria
Eubacteria
Eukaryota
Protista
eukaryotic
Fungi
Organisms are grouped into kingdoms based on:
1.Type of cell
2.How they obtain energy
3.How many cells they are made of, and
4.How complex their body structure is
Plantae
Animalia
8 Classification Groups “Taxa”
Domain-
Most broad, only three domains: Archaea, Bacteria, Eukarya
Example: Humans at this level are grouped with all other organisms made of
eukaryotic cells– (Algae, Fungus, Plants, and Animals)
Kingdom-
More specific, based on cell type, method of obtaining energy, and # of cells,
and complexity: Example: Humans at this level are grouped with all other
animals- (Sponge, Insects, Birds, Mammals)
Phylum-
Based on even more specific characteristics. For plants This is called “Divisions”
Example: Humans are grouped with other animals that have backbones at this level.
Class -
Based on even more specific characteristics.
Example: Humans are grouped with other animals with backbones that feed milk to
their young.
Order -
Based on even more specific characteristics.
Example: Humans are grouped with other animals
with backbones that feed milk to their young and
have opposable thumbs.
Family -
Based on even more specific characteristics.
Example: Humans are grouped with other great
apes that have opposable thumbs and have very
close DNA strand sequence.
Genus -
Even more specific
Example: Humans at this level are grouped with other humanlike ancestors based on the use of language and tool use.
Species -
Exact organism
Example: “Modern” humans with our brain size, learning capacity, and longevity.
• Organisms classified
Solar System
from most broad
group, domain,
Earth
down to most
specific, species
North America
U. S.
TX
DFW
Denton County
Justin
Carolus Linnaeus
(1707-1778), a
Swedish botanist
“binomial nomenclature”
Was created by Linnaeus.
It is a two-word naming
system for living things.
SCIENTIFIC NAMING!
• The “Binomial nomenclature” or scientific name
for each species, is a combination of the
genus name and species name.
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Homo = Genus,
Homo sapiens
sapiens = species
Why not use common names?
• Misleading
– starfish
– Dragonfly
• Confusing
– blue jay, blue coat, corn thief
– dog, perro, chien
They all have ONE scientific name.
Pisaster ochraceus
Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Cyanocitta cristata
The common name of many animals can be misleading.
Ceylon frogmouth
(Batrachostomus moniliger)
is a bird….
Killer whales
(Orcinus orca )are the
largest member of
the dolphin family.
Flying fish
(Parezocoetus mesogaster)
do not fly, but glide.
Seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae)
is not a horse, but a fish.
What language is used for the scientific naming?
LATIN
1. Latin is no longer used in conversation.
2. It’s tradition.
3. Universal.
What is the correct
way to write the
scientific name?
* Always capitalize the Genus and not the species.
•If handwriting, underline the name: Felis concolor
•If typing, put the name in italics: Felis concolor
•You can also abbreviate the Genus: F. concolor
Question 1
According to the table, at what level does the
domestic cat diverge from the ferret?
Classification of Representative Mammals
Kingdom
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Order
Cetacea
Carnivora
Carnivora
Family
Mysticeti
Mustelidae
Felidae
Genus
Balenopora
Mustela
Felis
Species
B. physalus
M. furo
F. catus
Ferret
Domestic Cat
Common Name
Blue Whale
The domestic cat belongs to the family
Felidae and the ferret belongs to the
family Mustelidae.
Classification of Representative Mammals
Kingdom
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Order
Cetacea
Carnivora
Carnivora
Family
Mysticeti
Mustelidae
Felidae
Genus
Balenopora
Mustela
Felis
Species
B. physalus
M. furo
F. catus
Common Name
Blue Whale
Ferret
Domestic Cat
Question 2
How many levels of classification do all three animals
share?
Classification of Representative Mammals
Kingdom
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Order
Cetacea
Carnivora
Carnivora
Family
Mysticeti
Mustelidae
Felidae
Genus
Balenopora
Mustela
Felis
Species
B. physalus
M. furo
F. catus
Common Name
Blue Whale
Ferret
Domestic Cat
All three animals belong to the same
kingdom, phylum, and class.