Classification of 2 different organisms
• Human
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primata
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Homo sapiens
• Red Maple
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Anthophyta
Class: Dicotyledones
Order: Sapindales
Family: Aceraceae
Genus: Acer
Species: Acer rubrum
I. Classification
A. How Classification Began
1. Classification - grouping of objects or information
based on similarities
2. Taxonomy - branch of Biology that deals with the
grouping and naming of organisms.
3. 2000 years ago Aristotle - Greek philosopher;
developed first classification
system - Two major groups:
plants (herbs, shrubs, trees) &
animals (live on land, in air
or water)
4. 1707 – 1778 Carolus Linnaeus - Swedish
botanist who developed system of classification
that is still used today - based on close
relationships of organisms.
• Binomial nomenclature – 2 name naming system
• Genus & species
• italicized or underlined
• Genus name is capitalized and species is lower case
Ex: Homo sapiens
• Genus - a group of closely related species
• species - population of interbreeding organisms
capable of producing fertile offspring
Why use scientific names???
Common Names usually have regional
(location) differences
• Dolphin… dolphin fish… mahi mahi…
porpoise… Huh???
Mountain Lion? Cougar? Puma?
Confusion in Using Different
Languages
for
Names
Common Names
Latin Names are Understood by
all
Taxonomists
Scientific Name
Binomial Nomenclature
Common Name
Scientific Name
B. Taxonomy- the study of classification
Why classify?
1.
EASE OF COMMUNICATION
*We need a universal system of naming organisms so that
the scientists around the world know they are studying the
same organism
2. EASE OF IDENTIFICATION
*It is a useful tool when trying to identify diseases or pathogens
quickly – Ex: poisonous vs. non-poisonous mushrooms
3. PROTECTING SPECIES
*Provides economic/ ecological advantages when a particular
species produces something useful – Ex: the Pacific Yew
produces taxol which may be used in treating some forms of
cancer.
C. How Living Things are Classified
1. Taxonomic categories - a hierarchy taxon (taxa-plural):
Kingdom,
Phylum,
Class,
Order,
Family,
Genus ,
species
Taxon- group or level into which
organisms are classified
King Phillip Came Over For Grape Soda
II. The six Kingdoms
A. Kingdom Eubacteria - True bacteria - prokaryotic (no nucleus
or organelles), unicellular decomposers or photosynthetic
EX: E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus
B. Kingdom Archaebacteria - Prokaryotes, unicellular,
microscopic, thrive in extreme environments like salt, lakes,
swamps & hot springs. Thought to most closely resemble first
life on Earth!
Ex: Methanogens, extreme halophiles
Bacteria Of Boiling Hot Springs
In Yellowstone National Park
Black Smokers on ocean floor
C. Kingdom Protista - unicellular and multi-cellular organisms that are
either plant-like, animal-like or fungus-like. Eukaryotic and usually live
in moist environments.
Amoeba
Paramecium
Radiolarian
Red Algae
Diatom
Giant Kelps
D. Kingdom Fungi - Mostly multicellular (yeast are unicellular),
heterotrophic, chitinous cell walls, eukaryotic, absorbs nutrients obtained
by decomposing dead organisms or waste/ detritus (detritivores/
saprobes). Once classified with Plantae.
Mushrooms
Yeast
Bracket Fungi
E. Kingdom Plantae - eukaryotic with cell walls of cellulose,
multicellular, stationary, autotrophic, producers
F. Kingdom Animalia - Multicellular heterotrophs, eukaryotic,
no cell walls, and most with highly organized tissue and
organ systems.
Kingdoms of Life Activity
• Use your notes and textbook to complete the
Kingdoms of Life Chart (10 minutes)
• Finish the WS for HW
Domain:
Bacteria
Domain:
Archaea
Kingdom
Eubacteria
Archaebacteria
Mode of
Nutrition
Autotroph or
heterotroph
Autotroph or
heterotroph
Cell
Structures
Cell walls with Cell walls w/o
peptidoglycan peptidoglycan
Domain: Eukarya
PROTISTA
FUNGI
PLANTAE
ANIMALIA
Autotroph or
heterotroph
Heterotroph Autotroph
Heterotroph
Some have Cell Cell walls of Cell walls of
walls of
chitin
cellulose
cellulose, some
have CW of
silica
No cell walls
How Are Relationships
Determined?
1. By Evolutionary History (classification)
2. By Development
3. By Biochemistry
4. By Behavior
5. Cladistic Analysis
D. How Are Relationships Determined?
1. By evolutionary history (classification) - common
ancestors, studying modern day life-forms and comparing
them with fossils (ancestors)
*Phylogeny - The evolutionary relationship of a species
2. By development - examining the development stages of
animals for similarities to determine their relationships and
phylogeny
*Ontogeny – the origin and development of a species
3. By Biochemistry - examining composition in DNA &
proteins, more sequences in common mean more closely
related. DNA analysis is studying “Molecular Clock”
4. By Behavior - noting similarities in behavioral patterns
5. Cladistic Analysis- classifying based of derived characters
(appear in recent lineages)
*Cladogram AKA Phylogenetic Tree
Watch this video 
Cladogram
A derived
character
Cladogram = Diagram showing
how organisms are related
based on shared, derived
characters such as feathers,
hair, or scales
Primate
Cladogram
• It can be helpful to assign letters or symbols
to the derived characters in order to draw a
clear cladogram
The Great Clade Race
• Each runner in the race starts at the same point (the
starting line)
• The course works its way through a forest to the
other side (runners can choose different pathways)
• Each runner has a card that they get stamped at
different checkpoints throughout the course (runners
will only have the same stamp if they went through
the same checkpoint)
• You will be able to determine the layout of the
course and which path each runner took by looking
at the stamps that each runner received
Whiteboard assignment
• Draw the course &
• Label
– The checkpoints
– Where the runners left the forest
• Questions to think about
– Think about the Great Clade Race as an analogy for
evolution
– What do each of the following represent:
• Runners
• Checkpoints
• The Race Course
Discussion Questions
• Describe the analogy between evolution and this
activity.
• Runners
• Checkpoints
• The Race Course
• Could you tell which path went left or right?
• Could you tell how long each segment was?
• In the biological case, why are organisms on different
paths?
• What do the forks in the road mean?
• Can organisms lose stamps in nature?
MEG
CHRIS
LOIS
DWIGHT
JIM
PETER
MICHAEL
PAM
Extension
• Thinking in the
biological sense, how
would this card change
your course
MEG
CHRIS
LOIS
9th DWIGHT
JIM
PETER
MICHAEL
PAM
Why would this happen?
Extension
• Thinking in the
biological sense, how
would this card change
your course
MEG
CHRIS
LOIS
9th DWIGHT
JIM
PETER
MICHAEL
PAM
Why would this happen?
Examples of Cladograms