1

Classification

Taxonomy=the science of classifying living things

• Hierarchical system of Classification– Carl Linnaeus (1750’s)

• “Father of Classification”

• Botanist

• Binomial names (Scientific Names)

• Latin

Carl Linnaeus

Rules of Classification

• Rule #1– Livings things are sorted/classified by their

physical characteristics (ex. outward appearance, internal structures, how the organism develops and matures, biological processes and evolutionary ancestry)

• Rule #2– Livings things are NOT classified by the

environment they live in OR the behaviors that they exhibit.

2

Hierarchical System of Classification

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti (?)

All Living Things

Archaebacteria

Eubacteria

Protista

Fungi

Plantae

Animalia

The 6 Kingdoms

M.Coffman, EMU Biology, 2003

All Living Things

Archaebacteria

Eubacteria

Protista

Fungi

Plantae

Animalia

The 6 Kingdoms

M.Coffman, EMU Biology, 2003

Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

Unicellular Multicellular

3

ArchaebacteriaUnicellular. No nucleus.

Don’t need oxygen to make energy.

EubacteriaUnicellular. No nucleus.

Some cause disease. Many Decomposers.

Protista

Uni- and Multi-cellular. Nucleus. Auto - andHeterotrophs. Most have cell walls.

Fungi

Multicellular. Nucleus. Cell Wall of Chitin.Decomposers. Heterotrophic.

Plants

Multicellular. Nucleus. Cell Wall of CelluloseAutotrophic.

AnimalsMulticelluar. Nucleus. Heterotrophic.

No cell walls.

mold

All Living Things

Arc

ha

eb

acte

ria

Eub

acte

ria

Pro

tista

Fu

ng

i

Pla

nta

e

Animalia

The Animal Kingdom

Phylum

Porifera

Phylum

CnidariaWormsPhylum:

PlatyhelminthesNematodes

Annelids

Phylum

MolluscaPhylum

Arthropoda

Phylum

EnchinodermataSubphylum

Vertebrata

M.Coffman, EMU Biology, 2003

All Living Things

Arc

ha

eb

acte

ria

Eub

acte

ria

Pro

tista

Fu

ng

i

Pla

nta

e

Animalia

The Animal Kingdom

Phylum

Porifera

Phylum

CnidariaWormsPhylum:

PlatyhelminthesNematodes

Annelids

Phylum

MolluscaPhylum

Arthropoda

Phylum

EnchinodermataSubphylum

Vertebrata

M.Coffman, EMU Biology, 2003

Invertebrates Vertebrates

4

All Living Things

Arc

ha

eb

acte

ria

Eub

acte

ria

Pro

tista

Fu

ng

i

Pla

nta

e

Animalia

Porifera

Cnidaria

WormsPlatyhelminthes, Nematodes, Annelids

Mollusca

Arthropoda

Enchinodermata

Vertebrata

M.Coffman, EMU Biology, 2003

Class

BivalviaClass

GastropodaClass

Cephalopoda

Class

ArachnidaClass

InsectaSubphylum

Crustacea

Mollusks & Arthropods

All Living Things

Arc

ha

eb

acte

ria

Eub

acte

ria

Pro

tista

Fu

ng

i

Pla

nta

e

An

ima

lia

Porife

ra

Cnid

aria

Worm

s

Mollu

sca

Arth

rop

od

a

Enchin

oderm

ata

Biv

alv

ia

Gastro

pod

a

Ceph

alo

pod

a

Ara

chnid

a

Insecta

Cru

sta

cea

Vertebrates

Subphylum

Vertebrata

FishClass:

AgnathaChondrichthyes

Osteichthyes

ClassAmphibia

ClassReptilia

ClassAvesBirds

ClassMammalia

M.Coffman, EMU Biology, 2003

Phylum Chordata

Dichotomous Keys

• “Dichotomous” - divided into two parts

– The key offers two choices at each step.

• A tool that allows users to identify items in

the natural world (e.g. plants, animals, etc)

5

Insect Classification

Wings covered by an

exoskeletonWings not covered by an

exoskeleton

Body shape

rounded

Body shape

elongated Wings point out

to the side of

body

Wings points to

the posterior of

the body

ALL PLANTSDoes the plant have true roots, stems, and leaves?

NO YES

Non-VascularExample:

Vascular

Does the plant reproduce with seeds?NO YES

Without SeedsExample:

With Seeds

Do the seeds have a fruit covering?NO YES

Gymnosperm Angiosperm

What form are the leaves?

Without needles or scalesExample:

With needles or scalesExample:

How many cotyledons?

one two

Monocot Example:

Dicot Example:

Thinking Tree Map for Plant ClassificationLiggit;2003

6

Scientific Names

• Binomial (two words)

– First word-Genus

• A group of organisms that share similar characteristics

• The Genus is ALWAYS capitalized

– Second word-Species

• Identifies a particular type of organism within the genus

• The species is ALWAYS lowercase

Rana palustris

Pickerel Frog

**Both words are either underlined or italicized

Scientific names are descriptive

Spermofilus tridecemlineatus

Spermofilus-Seed Love tridecemlineatus- 13 lines

13 lined ground squirrel

Latimeria chalumnae

Coelacanth

Organisms named after the

person who discovered it

Courtney Latimer

Parus carolinensis

Black-capped Chickadee

Organisms names reflects where it

is common

carolinensis

(North & South Carolina)

7

Organisms in different genera can have the same species name

Sorex cinereus

Masked Shrew

Plethodon cinereus

Eastern Red-backed Salamander

Classification

MR. H2O

Metabolism

Reproduction

Heredity

Homeostasis

Organization