Classification: The process of
putting similar things into
groups.
Taxonomy: Is the science of
classifying organisms.
HISTORY OF CLASSIFICATION
384-322 B.C.
Aristotle (Greek Philosopher)
Created first written classification scheme
TWO Groups - Plants & Animals
Animal group - anything that lived on
land, in the water or in the air.
Plant group - based this on their
different stems
1500'S - 1700'S
Many different classification systems
created
Many of them really complicated
Names based on common names This created confusion
Names also based on long scientific
definitions
1700'S - CAROLS LINNAEUS SWEDISH BIOLOGIST
 established a simple system for classifying and
naming organisms
 Based on structural similarities of organism
 Binomial Nomenclature - 2 name naming system still in use today.
 Created a system of groups called TAXA or TAXON
 Each Taxon is a category into which related
organisms are placed
 Approximately 2.5 million kinds of organisms
identified
MODERN DAY LEVELS OF
CLASSIFICATION
--- Domain Bacteria----Kingdom Eubacteria
Viruses----life--------------Domain Archaea----Kingdom
Archaebacteria
----Kingdom Plantae
-----Kingdom Animalia
---Domain Eukarya-- -----Kingdom Protista
----Kingdom Fungi
Canadian lynx
Man
Box Elder Tree Bobcat
Domain
Eukarya
Eukarya
Eukarya
Eukarya
Kingdom
Animalia
Plantea
Animalia
Animalia
Anthophyta
Chordata
Chordata
Phylum/Division Chordata
Class
Mammalian
Dicotyledonae
Mammalia
Mammalia
Order
Primates
Sapindales
Carnivora
Carnivora
Family
Hominidae
Aceracae
Felidae
Felidae
Genus
Homo
Acer
Lynx
Lynx
sapiens
nugundo
rufus
canadensis
Species
MODERN TAXONOMY
The Evidence used to classify into taxon groups
1) Embryology
2) Chromosomes / DNA
3) Biochemistry
4) Physiology
5) Evolution
6) Behavior
BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE
Is a system of Scientific Naming
using TWO NAMES FOR EVERY
ORGANISM: The GENUS and
the SPECIES name.
IDENTIFYING ORGANISMS BY THEIR GENUS AND SPECIES NAMES IS
CALLED
THE BINOMIAL SYSTEM, OR BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE. ("TWO-NAME
NAMING)
The system follows certain rules:
1. The scientific name must be in Greek or Latin language.
This helps to accurate communicate information to other biologist
around the world who use many different languages. This is done by
assigning a unique two-word scientific name to each organism.
(BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE)
2. The first part of the name is called the Genus and the second part of
the name is called the species.
3. The Genus name refers to the relatively small group of organisms to
which a particular type of organism belongs.
4. The SECOND part of the name is the SPECIES.
(SPECIES means IDENTIFIER) The Species name is usually a Latin
description of some important characteristic of the organism.
EXAMPLE
Ursus maritimus (maritime bear)
PHYLOGENETICS
Study of evolutionary relationships
Phylogenic tree (Family Tree)
CLADISTICS
Cladistics is a system to analyze phylogeny
through shared and derived characteristics.
CLADOGRAMS
Molecular Cladograms
Chromosome Cladograms
Archeological cladograms
Data table (use this to make your own cladogram)
Characteristics
Group of
organisms
Vascular tissue
seeds
flowers
Mosses
0
0
0
Ferns
1
0
0
Pine trees and
conifers
1
1
0
Flowering Plants
1
1
1