2. Classification of Living Things
Taxonomy Video

3. All Living Things… Are classified by certain characteristics
Are put into categories based on similarities and relationships to other living things
Have a certain DOMAIN, KINGDOM, PHYLUM, CLASS, ORDER, FAMILY, GENUS, and SPECIES that they belong to!

4. Did you know… That 1,600,000 species have been classified so far?
That at least 1,000,000 of these are insects?
That it is believed that MANY others exist and just haven’t been discovered yet?

5. Why should we classify organisms?

6. Confusion in Using Different Languages for Names

7. Latin Names are Understood by all Taxonomists

8. Why should we classify organisms?
Taxonomy: (Classification) The scientific discipline where scientists classify organisms and group them in a logical manner.

9. WHY CLASSIFY? To name organisms and group them in a logical manner
Ask students: What characteristics do these organisms have that might lead scientists to group them together?
What differences do they have that distinguish one from the other?

10. Modern Taxonomy
Carolus von Linnaeus: Developed the basis for our modern classification system. “Father of Taxonomy”

11. Eukaryote vs. Prokaryote
There are two domains:
Eukaryote- Nucleus (you are an eukaryote)
Prokaryote- NO nucleus (bacteria)

12. Peptidoglycan cell wall
Eukaryote
Cell wall of cellulose
multi
auto
none
hetero
Prokaryote
Archaea
Cell wall
Many types
uni
both
Methanobacteria
prokaryote
Peptidoglycan cell wall
E. coli
eukaryote
Cell wall of chitin
Hetero
(Saprophyte)
Lichen, yeast, mushrooms
Pectin or none
Most uni
Algae, diatoms, amoebas

13. Most General (Most Inclusive) Most Specific (Least Inclusive)
Levels of Taxonomy
Most General (Most Inclusive)
Memory Mneumonic
Did
King
Phillip
Come
Over
For
Good
Soup
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Primata
Family Homindae
Genus Homo
Species Sapien
Most Specific (Least Inclusive)

14. Classification of Ursus arctos (Grizzly Bear)
Section 18-1
Grizzly bear
Black bear
Giant panda
Red fox
Abert squirrel
Coral snake
Sea star
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Chordata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Carnivora
FAMILY Ursidae
GENUS Ursus
SPECIES Ursus arctos
Go to Section:

15. Assigning Scientific Names
Binomial Nomenclature - a two-word naming system
Why?
To eliminate the confusion that arises when people use common names

16. Why a Scientific Name?
Using common names is confusing because many organisms may have several different common names…
A COUGAR is also known as the mountain lion, puma, cougar OR Felis concolor

17. Binomial Nomenclature
Two Part Scientific Name. Always written in
italics. First word is capitalized and the
second word is lowercased
First Part = Genus
Second Part = species
Examples:
Lepus arcticus (Arctic Hare)
Ursus arctos (Grizzly Bear)
Ursus maritimus (Polar Bear)
Ailuropoda melanoleuca (Panda Bear)

18. Binomial Nomenclature
Which TWO are more closely related?

19. Classification of Ursus arctos (Grizzly Bear)
Section 18-1
Grizzly bear
Black bear
Giant panda
Red fox
Abert squirrel
Coral snake
Sea star
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Chordata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Carnivora
FAMILY Ursidae
GENUS Ursus
SPECIES Ursus arctos
Go to Section:
Do Ursus arctos and Ursus maritimus belong to the same species?

21. Dichotomous Key (Biological Key)
A tool to help identify unfamiliar organisms by going through a series of choices that leads the user to the correct name of the species.
At each step of the process, the user is given two choices; each choice leads to another question until the species is identified.

23. Dichotomous Key

24. Dichotomous Key 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Step 1 If fish shape is long and skinny then go to step 2 If fish shape is not long and skinny, then go to step 3
Step 2 If fish has pointed fins, it is a trumpet fish If fish has smooth fins, it is a spotted moray eel
Step 3 If fish has both eyes on top of the head, then go to step 4 If fish has one eye on each side of the head, then go to step 5
Step 4 If fish has long whip-like tail, it is a spotted eagle ray If fish has short, blunt tail, it is a peacock flounder
Step 5 If fish has spots, then go to step 6 If fish does not have spots, then go to step 7
Step 6 If fish has chin "whiskers," it is a spotted goat fish If fish does not have chin "whiskers," it is a band-tail puffer
Step 7 If fish has stripes, then go to step 8 If fish does not have stripes, it is a glassy sweeper
Step 8 If fish has a v-shaped tail, it is a squirrel fish If fish has a blunt tail, it is a glass-eye snapper

25. Cladograms
Cladograms are diagrams that show the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms

26. Phylogeny! Building “family” trees
Closely related species are branches on the tree — coming from a common ancestor

28. Making a cladogram
Place the derived character that ALL the organisms show at the very beginning.
Place the organisms AFTER the derived characters that they show.

29. CLADOGRAM Jaws Lungs Claws or Nails Feathers Hagfish Fish salamander
Lizard
Pigeon
Mouse
Monkey
Fur &
Mammary
Glands

30. Reading a CLADOGRAM
The characteristics listed below the line are called derived characters (traits)
When the derived character appears above an organism, the organism lacks that derived character
When the derived character appears below the organism, the organism possesses that derived character

32. EVOLUTIONARY CLASSIFICATION
Besides physical characteristics, Biologists group organisms into categories that represent lines of:
Phylogeny: The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms
Cladogram: diagrams used to show the evolutionary relationship among a group of organisms
Phylogenetic Tree:“tree” showing evolutionary relationship

33. Bell Ringer:
What is the scientific discipline where scientists classify organisms and group them in a logical manner?
Who was the “Father of Taxonomy”?
List the levels of Taxonomy from Most General to Most Specific.
What is a tool to help identify unfamiliar organisms by going through a series of choices that leads the user to the correct name of the species?