ClassificationClassification

5.5.1 Outline the binomial system of nomenclature5.5.2 List seven levels in the hierarchy of taxa

5.5.1 Outline the binomial system of nomenclature5.5.2 List seven levels in the hierarchy of taxa

Why Classify?Why Classify?

2.5 million species identified so far

Not even close to complete inventory

Need a system to organize species

2.5 million species identified so far

Not even close to complete inventory

Need a system to organize species

What makes a good system?

What makes a good system?

Assign a universally accepted name to each organism so every scientist knows exactly what is being discussed.

Grouping should have good biological reason so that researchers can expect a group to share important characteristics.

Assign a universally accepted name to each organism so every scientist knows exactly what is being discussed.

Grouping should have good biological reason so that researchers can expect a group to share important characteristics.

Biological Classification

Biological Classification

By 18th century needed universal naming system that did away with common names

Solved language issuesMeant that same name was not being used for different organisms

By 18th century needed universal naming system that did away with common names

Solved language issuesMeant that same name was not being used for different organisms

Early Scientific NamesEarly Scientific Names

Described physical characteristics of organism

Could be 20 words longFor example:“Oak with deeply divided leaves with no hairs on the underside, and no teeth around their edges.”

Described physical characteristics of organism

Could be 20 words longFor example:“Oak with deeply divided leaves with no hairs on the underside, and no teeth around their edges.”

Binomial NomenclatureBinomial Nomenclature

Carolus von Linnaeus Two-word naming system

GenusNoun, Capitalized, Underlined or Italicized

SpeciesDescriptive, Lower Case, Underlined or Italicized

Carolus von Linnaeus Two-word naming system

GenusNoun, Capitalized, Underlined or Italicized

SpeciesDescriptive, Lower Case, Underlined or ItalicizedCarolus von Linnaeus

(1707-1778)

Swedish scientist who laid the foundation for modern taxonomy

Binomial NomenclatureBinomial Nomenclature

Example:Acer rubrum is the scientific name for a red maple

-- Acer is the genus name and all maple trees carry this name

-- rubrum means “red” and is the species name

Example:Acer rubrum is the scientific name for a red maple

-- Acer is the genus name and all maple trees carry this name

-- rubrum means “red” and is the species name

"Formal" scientific names should have a third part, the authority.    

The authority is not italicized or underlined.

The authority is written as an abbreviation of the last name of the person responsible for naming the organism.

"Formal" scientific names should have a third part, the authority.    

The authority is not italicized or underlined.

The authority is written as an abbreviation of the last name of the person responsible for naming the organism.

Authority continuedAuthority continued

Since Carolus Linnaeus was the first person to name many plants, the L. for Linnaeus is very common in plant scientific names.

An example is Quercus alba L.

Since Carolus Linnaeus was the first person to name many plants, the L. for Linnaeus is very common in plant scientific names.

An example is Quercus alba L.

Kingdoms and Domains

Bacteria Archaea Eukarya

Bacteria Archaea Protista Plantae Fungi Animalia

Monera Protista Plantae Fungi Animalia

The three-domain system

The six-kingdom system

The traditional five-kingdom system

Hierarchical ClassificationHierarchical

Classification Taxonomic categories

Kingdom KingPhylum PhilipClass CameOrder OverFamily ForGenus GreatSpecies Spaghetti

Taxonomic categoriesKingdom KingPhylum PhilipClass CameOrder OverFamily ForGenus GreatSpecies Spaghetti

Phylum / DivisionPhylum / Division

Division used in plants, fungi and bacteria kingdoms

Division used in plants, fungi and bacteria kingdoms

Systematics:Evolutionary Classification of

Organisms

Systematics:Evolutionary Classification of

Organisms

Systematics is the study of the evolution of biological diversity, and combines data from the following areas. Fossil record Comparative homologies Cladistics Comparative sequencing of DNA/RNA among organisms

Molecular clocks

Systematics is the study of the evolution of biological diversity, and combines data from the following areas. Fossil record Comparative homologies Cladistics Comparative sequencing of DNA/RNA among organisms

Molecular clocks

HistoryHistory

Aristotle 388-322 BC Plants/Animals

Haeckel (1866)Plants/Animals/Protists

Whittaker (1969)Fungi/Plants/Animals/Protists/Monerans

Woese,Kandler, Wheelis (1990)Domain system(Archea, Bacteria, Eucarya)

Aristotle 388-322 BC Plants/Animals

Haeckel (1866)Plants/Animals/Protists

Whittaker (1969)Fungi/Plants/Animals/Protists/Monerans

Woese,Kandler, Wheelis (1990)Domain system(Archea, Bacteria, Eucarya)

Arisotle’s systemArisotle’s system

Historia AnimaliumPlant classification lostHeirarchy – humans at top but species unchanging not an evolutionary tree

System persisted with little change until 16th century

Historia AnimaliumPlant classification lostHeirarchy – humans at top but species unchanging not an evolutionary tree

System persisted with little change until 16th century

Three KingdomsThree Kingdoms

PlantsAnimalsMinerals

1735 1st edition1758 10th edition

PlantsAnimalsMinerals

1735 1st edition1758 10th edition

Classification of Humans

Classification of Humans