CARL LINNAEUS
(1707-1778)
Father of Classification and Taxonomy
Carl Linnaeus – Background
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Carl’s birthplace
He was born on May
23, 1707, in Sweden.
His father was a
gardener and a pastor.
His father taught him
Latin, religion, and
geography at home
until he was seven years
old.
Carl Linnaeus – Finding his Mission
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Carl showed a deep
love of plants and a
fascination with their
names from a very
early age.
Carl Linnaeus – Finding his Mission
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He attended
college to study to
become a doctor.
Learning about
plants was part of
learning to be a
doctor.
He liked studying
plants more than
studying medicine.
The Beginnings of an Organized
Classification of Living Things
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From 1740 1770, Carl was
sent on several
journeys
throughout
Sweden and
northern Europe
to find and
classify plants
and animals.
Question for you….

Can you find
Europe on this
world map?
The Beginnings of an Organized
Classification of Living Things
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As he collected
and classified
animals, plants and
minerals, Carl
made careful
records. He
published several
books to share his
learning.
Classification of Animals
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As a result of doing a great deal of
observation and recording, Carl Linnaeus
sorted his findings and created a way to
organize plants and a way to organize
animals for others to study and to discuss
them.
What follows are his original ideas on
classifying animals.
Original Taxonomy of Animals
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Linnaeus created 6 Categories:
Classis 1. MAMMALIA What is that? (Mammals)
Classis 2. AVES What is that? (Birds)
Classis 3. AMPHIBIA What is that? (Amphibians)
Classis 4. PISCES What is that? (Fish)
Classis 5. INSECTA What is that? (Insects)
Classis 6. VERMES What is that? (Everything else)
Original Taxonomy of Animals
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Linnaeus created 6 Categories:
Classis 1. MAMMALIA What is that?
What is that?
Classis 2. AVES
Classis 3. AMPHIBIA What is that?
Classis 4. PISCES
What is that?
Classis 5. INSECTA
What is that?
Classis 6. VERMES
What is that?
(Mammals)
(Birds)
(Amphibians)
(Fish)
(Insects)
(Everything
else)
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Linnaeus then took the general categories
of animals and broke them down into even
smaller categories like this:
Taxonomy of Animals
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Kingdom
 Phylum
 Class
 Order
 Family
 Genus
 Species
Taxonomy of Animals
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Now let’s look at how this taxonomy
(organized arrangement) works with one
animal you are familiar with.
Taxonomy of Animals
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Kingdom - Animal
 Phylum - Chordata (vertebrate)
 Class – Mammalia (mammal)
 Order – Carnivora (meat eater)
 Family - Canidae (dogs, wolves, foxes, etc.)
 Genus – Canis (7 – 10 species of a family that
includes dogs, wolves, dingos, and coyotes)
 Species - C. lupus (wolves and dogs)
Taxonomy of Animals
The official name for
a wolf or dog is
C. lupus.
Many people were greatly influenced by
the work of Carl Linnaeus. Here are some
of their comments:
Tributes from other great minds:
“Tell him I know no
greater man on
earth.”
~ Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
Tributes from other great minds:
"With the exception
of Shakespeare
and Spinoza, I
know no one
among the no
longer living who
has influenced me
more strongly.“
~ Johann Wolfgang
von Goethe
Carl Linnaeus was known by others, and
he also was a man who knew God.
“The Earth's creation is the
glory of God, as seen
from the works of Nature
by Man alone. The study
of nature would reveal
the Divine Order of
God's creation, and it
was the naturalist's task
to construct a ‘natural
classification’ that would
reveal this Order in the
universe.”
~ Carl Linneaus
What Carl Linneaus Left Behind
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In 1783 Carl died
and Sara, his wife,
inherited his life’s
collections which
included:
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14,000 plants,
3,198 insects,
1,564 shells,
about 3,000 letters,
and 1,600 books,
and a great deal
of new knowledge
about plants and
animals.
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)
His system for naming,
ranking, and classifying
organisms is still in wide
use today, with a few
changes. His ideas on
classification have
influenced generations
of biologists during and
after his own lifetime.
All photos and information from Wikipedia and Microsoft Office