Kingdom Characteristics: Taxonomy
Phylogeny
• Scientists have used an
organism’s chemical
make-up and body
structure to determine an
organism’s phylogeny.
• Phylogeny: is an
organism’s evolutionary
history or how an
organism has changed
over time.
• A organism’s phylogeny
gives scientists clues
about the organisms
ancestors .
Modern Classification: 6
Kingdom System
• The classification system used by scientists
today is based upon classifying organisms
into 6 different groups…
• The 6 Kingdoms:
– 1.Archaebacteria
– 3.Protista
– 5.Fungi
2.Eubacteria
4.Plants
6.Animals
Archaebacteria
• Archaebacteria have a different arrangement of the bases
in their ribosomal RNA and in the composition of their
plasma membranes & cell walls.
• Three major groups:
– Methanogens: produce methane; found in sewage treatment plants
& bogs.
– Halophiles: thrive in high salt concentrations: salt lakes or pools of
sea water.
– Thermophiles. heat-loving bacteria found near hydrothermal vents
and hot springs. Many are chemosynthetic
– Archaebacteria emerged at least 3.5 billion years ago and live in
environments that resemble conditions existing when the earth was
young.
Eubacteria
• Eubacteria: “true bacteria”, prokaryotic cells.
• Some Eubacteria can cause health problems like
strep throat and food poisoning. Bacteria such as
E.coli and Salmonella are sometimes found in
undercooked meat and eggs and can make people
sick. Other bacteria are good to eat, such as those
in yogurt.
• People have found that some types of Eubacteria
can be very useful. Some are used at wastewater
treatment plants to help clean the water. Others are
also used to make grapes into wine and milk into
cheese.
Protista
• Organisms are eukaryotic & may be either
single celled or multicellular.
• Some of the organisms in this kingdom
move, others do not.
• Organisms may either make their own food
or obtain it from other organisms.
• Example: amoeba
Fungi
• Organisms are eukaryotic & may be either
single celled or multicellular.
• None of the organisms in this kingdom
move.
• All organisms obtain food from other
organisms.
• Example: mushrooms
Plants
• Organisms are
eukaryotic &
multicellular.
• None of the organisms
in this kingdom move.
• Organisms make their
own food.
• Example: Evergreen
Trees
Animals
• Organisms are eukaryotic
& multicellular.
• All organisms in this
kingdom move.
• All organisms obtain food
from other organisms in
either the plant or animal
kingdom.
• Example: dog, butterfly,
ant
Groups within Kingdoms…
• Every organism on the Earth is placed into a
kingdom. Then assigned to a phylum, the
next smallest group. (In the plant kingdom, the term
division takes the place of phylum.) Each phylum or
division is separated into classes, classes are
separated into orders, orders are divided
into families, families are divided into
genuses, and genuses are divided into
species.
Understanding the Divisions…
• Each division gets
smaller & smaller and
more specific as you
move down.
• Kingdom is the
largest, most
encompassing division
of classification.
• Species is the smallest,
most specific division
of classification.
Example of a bottlenose
dolphin’s classification…
• Kingdom: Animalia
– Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
– Order: Cetacea
» Family:
Delphinidae
» Genus: Tursiops
» Species:
truncatus