18-1 Finding Order in Diversity Slide 2 of 26

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Diane Kennedy
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1 18-1 Finding Order in Diversity 2 of 26

2 Natural selection and other processes have led to a staggering diversity of organisms. Biologists have identified and named about 1.5 million species so far. They estimate that million additional species have yet to be discovered. 3 of 26

3 Why Classify? Why Classify? How are living things organized for study? 4 of 26

4 Why Classify? To study the diversity of life, biologists use a classification system to name organisms and group them in a logical manner. 5 of 26

5 Why Classify? In the discipline of taxonomy, scientists classify organisms and assign each organism a universally accepted name. When taxonomists classify organisms, they organize them into groups that have biological significance. 6 of 26

6 Assigning Scientific Names Assigning Scientific Names Common names of organisms vary, so scientists assign one name for each species. Because 18 th century scientists understood Latin and Greek, they used those languages for scientific names. This practice is still followed in naming new species. 7 of 26

7 Assigning Scientific Names Early Efforts at Naming Organisms The first attempts at standard scientific names described the physical characteristics of a species in great detail. These names were not standardized because different scientists described different characteristics. 8 of 26

8 Assigning Scientific Names Binomial Nomenclature What is binomial nomenclature? 9 of 26

9 Assigning Scientific Names Carolus Linneaus developed a naming system called binomial nomenclature. In binomial nomenclature, each species is assigned a two-part scientific name. The scientific name is italicized. Example: Felis concolor (F. concolor) Genus is capitalized, species is not. 10 of 26

10 Assigning Scientific Names A GENUS is a group of closely related species. The genus name is capitalized. The species part of the name often describes an important trait or where the organism lives. The species name is lowercased. 11 of 26

11 Linnaeus s System of Classification Linnaeus's System of Classification Linnaeus not only named species, he also grouped them into categories. What is Linneaus s system of classification? 12 of 26

12 Linnaeus's System of Classification Linnaeus's seven levels of classification are from smallest to largest species genus family order class phylum kingdom 13 of 26

13 Linnaeus's System of Classification Each level is called a taxon, or taxonomic category. Species and genus are the two smallest categories. Grizzly Black 14 of 26

14 Linnaeus's System of Classification Genera that share many characteristics are grouped in a larger category, the family. Grizzly Black Giant panda 15 of 26

15 Linnaeus's System of Classification An order is a broad category composed of similar families. Grizzly Black Giant panda Red fox 16 of 26

16 Linnaeus's System of Classification The next larger category, the class, is composed of similar orders. Grizzly Black Giant panda Red fox Abert squirrel Class Mammalia 17 of 26

17 Linnaeus's System of Classification Several different classes make up a phylum. Grizzly Black Giant panda Red fox Abert squirrel Coral snake PHYLUM Chordata 18 of 26

18 Linnaeus's System of Classification The kingdom is the largest and most inclusive of Linnaeus's taxonomic categories. Grizzly Black Giant panda Red fox Abert squirrel Coral snake Sea star KINGDOM Animalia 19 of 26

19 Grizzly Black Giant panda Red fox Linnaeus's System of Classification Abert squirrel Coral snake Sea star 20 of 26

Classification of Organisms

Classification of Organisms Main Idea *****Chapter 14***** Students should be able to: * Understand why a classification system is important * Understand that there are a variety of ways to classify organisms