Chapter 17 Classifications

The Linnaean System of Classification

What are the common names for this animal?

Carolus Linnaeus 

Developed a system of classifying and naming of living things which made it easier to identify and classify new organisms.

The science of naming and classifying organisms is known as TAXONOMY. Each group of organisms is called a TAXON (TAXA for plural)

Why the weird names?

The first part of the scientific name is known as the Genus and is always capitalized...Homo

The second part of the scientific name is known as the Species and is always lowercase...sapien

Which one is the least related organism?

• Ursus americanus
• Ursus arctus
• Ursus maritimus
• Ailuropoda melanoleuca 

Who is this organisms closest relative?

Ailurus fulgens

A) Procyon lotor

B) Ailuropoda melanoleuca

C) Thylamys pallidior

In order to classify organisms correctly a dichotomous key must be developed

Practice Classification 

The system of the Linnaeus classification system has 7 Levels.....Domain was added later. 

What would you imagine if I said "I captured a animal in my backyard and kept it in a box with its friends."

It would be more specific on my part to say "I captured a fire ant  (Solenopsis mandibularis) in my backyard and kept it in a box with its friends."

I went from something very broad ANIMAL to very specific FIRE ANT

Today scientists agree that organisms should be classified based on evolutionary relationship and not just physically.

For this Cladograms are used.

Each have traits shared by some and not others known as Derived Characters.

Nodes are where the branch splits.

Molecular Clocks are used to trace mutation rates to measure evolutionary time.

There are 3 main domains of life Bacteria, Archae, and Eukarya

Within these domains are the 6 kingdoms

Eukaryotes
1. Animalia
2. Plantae
3. Fungi
4. Protista

Prokaryotes 
5. Eubacteria
6. Archaebacteria

Leaf Identification Activity