5. Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of classifying all known organisms. This
includes living and fossilized organisms.
Classified organisms are put into groups called taxa (singular: taxon).
6. Think. Pair. Share.
Which of these plants is safe to eat?
Hemlock
Foxglove
Poison Ivy
Buttercup
Carrot
Monkshood
7. Taxonomy
It is important to identify and classify the organisms present in the
biosphere in order to effectively use them as resources and protect
them from invasive species or other dangers.
Emerald ash borers are an invasive species from Asia, and are threatening to
kill many of the ash trees in Ontario's boreal forest. By identifying the pest
and its prey, we have slowed the infestation.
8. Taxonomy
Taxonomy based on morphology can be difficult since there may be
great physical variance within a species, or little visible difference
between 2 different species.
Left – male peacock
Right – female peacock
same species
9. Taxonomy
Top and bottom
butterflies are the
same species,
born at different
times of the year.
Taxonomy based on morphology can be difficult since there may be
great physical variance within a species, or little visible difference
between 2 different species.
10. Taxonomy
These
meadowlarks are
of a different
species. You can
only tell them
apart by listening
to their songs.
Taxonomy based on morphology can be difficult since there may be
great physical variance within a species, or little visible difference
between 2 different species.
11. I categorized according to
habitat:
-water dwellers
-land dwellers
-air dwellers
Taxonomy
Aristotle had some of the first
recorded attempts at taxonomy. There
is also evidence of the ancient Chinese
and Egyptians classifying organisms.
12. Taxonomy
Carl Linnaeus is credited as the "father" of modern taxonomy. He
established the naming system we use today.
Binomial nomenclature is the system that Linnaeus developed
whereby all organisms are given two names.
Giraffa
camelopardalis
Felis catusCanis lupus
13. Binomial Nomenclature
The first name is called the organism's genus (plural: genera).
The second name is the species.
The genus is always capitalized (species is not) and the full name is
written in italics.
Ailuropoda
melanoleuca
Ursus maritimusUrsus arctos
14. Advantages of using the binomial
nomenclature system
1. Universal scientific communication
2. Unique for every living thing
3. Show relationship between closely related
organisms
15. Classification System
• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species
• Memory aid (mnemonic device)
–King Phillip called out for good
soup
16. Classification System
Brown Bear House cat Dog Killer whale Wolf
Kingdom Animalia Animalia Animalia Animalia animalia
Phylum chordata Chordata chordata chordata Chordata
Class mammalia mammalia mammalia Mammalia Mammalia
Order Carnivora carnivora carnivora cetacea carnivora
Family Ursidae Felidae canidae Delphinidae canidae
Genus ursus felis Canis orcinus Canis
Species arctos catus familiaris orca Lupus
27. Step 1
If fish shape is long and skinny then go to step 2
If fish shape is not long and skinny go to step 3
Step 5
If fish has spots, go to step 6
If fish does not have spots, go to step 7
Step 2
If fish has pointed fins, it is a trumpet fish
If fish has smooth fins, it is a spotted moray eel
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 3
If fish has both eyes on top of head, go to step 4
If fish has eye on each side of the head, go to step 5
Step 7
If fish has stripes, go to step 8
If fish does not have stripes, it is a glassy sweeper
Step 4
If fish has long whip like tail, it is a spotted eagle ray
If fish short blunt tail, it is a peacock flounder
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
28. What is a dichotomous key used for?
• Used to help place organisms into an
appropriate classification group
29. What are the 2 conditions for a
properly written dichotomous key?
• 2 choices for each characteristic
• Unique ending for each individual item
(think of the fish example)
30. Two ways a dichotomous key can
be represented?
• Diagrammatically (tree/flow chart)
• With words
31. How does a dichotomous key relate to the 7 taxa and
binomial nomenclature
• Characteristics that define the choices
(dichotomy) are often based on the
characteristics that subdivide each taxa (e.g.
vertebrate vs. invertebrate)
• A true key ends with a scientific name of the
organism using the binomial nomenclature
system
34. Classification System
Where you live, from broad to specific:
- The Universe
- The Milky Way Galaxy
- The Solar System
- Planet Earth
- North American Continent
- Canada
- Ontario
- Toronto
- North York
- Your address
Editor's Notes
Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Leonardo DiCaprio
Western meadowlark and eastern meadowlark: two distinct speciesEven though they look alike and have overlapping ranges, the western meadowlark, Sturnella magna (left), and the eastern meadowlark, Sternellaneglecta (right), have distinctly different songs. As a result, they do not interbreed and are classified as separate species.
