Name ____________________ Period ______
Accelerated Biology
Taxonomic Fun
Organisms are classified into groups called taxa based on their similarities. The taxa start out
broad. You will receive pictures of 6 organisms. Answer the following questions using these
organisms.
1. Which of the organisms is least closely related to the others? Set that picture aside.
Oak Tree
2. What characteristic did you use to determine your answer to number 1?
It is in the plant kingdom, not the animal kingdom like all the other organisms
3. Now which of the organisms is least closely related to the others? Set that picture aside.
Mosquito
4. What characteristic did you use to determine your answer to number 3?
It is not a chordate (does not have a backbone)
5. Now which of the organisms is least closely related to the others?
Frog
6. What characteristic did you use to determine your answer to number 5?
It is an amphibian, not a mammal
7. Now which of the organisms is least closely related to the others? Set that picture aside.
Human
8. What characteristic did you use to determine your answer to number 7?
It is a primate, not a carnivore
9. What sets the two remaining organisms apart?
They are different species
10. Below are the classifications of the different organisms. Determine which organism belongs to
which classification. Write the common name for the organism in the chart.
Lion
Tiger
Human
Frog
Mosquito
Oak Tree
Kingdom Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Animalia
Plantae
Phylum
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Chordata
Arthropoda
Anthophyta
Class
Mammalia
Mammalia
Mammalia
Amphibia
Insecta
Dicotyledones
Order
Carnivora
Carnivora
Primates
Anura
Diptera
Fagales
Family
Felidae
Felidae
Hominidae
Hylidae
Culicidae
Fagaceae
Genus
Panthera
Panthera
Homo
Agalychinis
Culex
Quercus
Species
leo
tigris
sapien
callidryas
pipiens
rubra
1. Who originated the modern classification system?
Carolus Linneaus
2. What language is used for the modern classification system? Why?
Latin
3. Why is it necessary to have a scientific name for an organism?
Provides scientists a common way of communicating (regardless of their native
language
It eliminates confusion (a specie may have more than 1 common name)
The cougar, moutain lion, panther, and puma are all the same animal
4. What is the study of classifying organisms called?
Taxonomy
5. How do you properly write the scientific name of an organism?
Made up of the genus and species name
In Latin
Genus is capitalized, species in not
Underlined or in italics
6. Quercus rubrum, Quercus alba, and Acer rubrum are all types of trees. Which are most closely
related? Explain.
Quercus rubrum and Quercus alba are in the same genus
(Red oak)
(white oak)
Acer rubrum is the red Maple
7. What is another organism in the same order as we are?
Chimpanzee
8. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) could mate and make a hybrid
called a grolar bear or a prizzly bear. Recently an offspring of a grolar bear was found. According
to the species definition we learned, what does this mean?
Species – A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring,
and that are reproductively isolated from other such groups
The polar bear and the grizzly bear are no longer reproductively isolated.