2. Taxonomy / Systematics / Classify
What are Taxonomy* and Systematics*?
What is a Phylogenetic Survey?
What is Phylogeny*?
What is Ontogeny*?
3. Basic Classification Hierarchy*
- DOMAIN
- KINGDOM
- DIVISION or PHYLUM
- CLASS
- ORDER
- FAMILY
- GENUS
- SPECIES
(many levels can have sublevels: e.g. subfamily)
4. Basic Classification Hierarchy
- DOMAIN (Eukarya)
- KINGDOM (Animalia)
- DIVISION or PHYLUM (Chordata)
- SUBPHYLUM (Vertebrata)
- CLASS (Mammalia)
- ORDER (Primate)
- FAMILY (Hominidae)
- GENUS (Homo)
- SPECIES (Homo sapiens)
(many levels can have sublevels: e.g. subfamily)
5. Taxon / Taxa
What is a TAXON* (pl. taxa)?????
NO ABSOLUTE way to determine if
something should be a genus, a
family or a phylum
Still there is much agreement as to
what goes in a group such as GREEN
ALGAE or FLOWERING PLANTS or
BACTERIA
6. Position in the Hierarchy
There is no ABSOLUTE rank in a hierarchy!
(No ABSOLUTE way to determine
position in a hierarchy)
Despite this most authorities are in
general agreement how to organize
species into higher taxa
An example (using families)
Solanaceae Sphecidae
How might “experts” differ in the
above examples?
7. The Species
The only taxon that has ‘biological
reality’
Human Beings (a species)
What is our scientific name?
Species: Homo sapiens Linnaeus
Genus: Homo
Specific Epithet: sapiens
Genus + Specific Epithet = Species
Author Citation: Linnaeus
8. Classify / Classification (I)
GOAL: a natural* classification
A Classification*: information storage
and retrieval system
What type of information to use?
Everything and anything
(morphology, anatomy, distribution,
cytology, genetics, DNA homologies,
behaviors, etc.)
9. Classify / Classification (II)
Why do we look down on classification
activities and disciplines (taxonomy and
systematics)?
Why do classification schemes keep on
changing?
Why are taxonomy and systematics
more important than ever?
10. Nomenclature
Naming things
Why a system of Nomenclature*?
Why scientific names? Why not just
use common names?
Binomial System
Why latinized names?
Very specific rules --- Why is this important?
Rules (name endings, etc.) currently differ
for plants vs. animals --- Why?
11. Classification Hierarchy Revisited
- ALL LIVING THINGS (= Storage Building)
- DOMAIN (= a floor in the building)
- KINGDOM (= large storage room)
- DIVISION or PHYLUM (= file cabinet)
- CLASS (= drawer)
- ORDER (= large file folder)
- FAMILY (= smaller folder in
the large folder)
- GENUS (= stapled packet)
- SPECIES (= single page)
12. Changing (?) Classifications I
How many Kingdoms?????
Two Three Five Six
Plantae Protista* Monera Archaebacteria
Animalia Plantae Protista* Eubacteria
Animalia Fungi Protista*
Plantae Fungi
Animalia Plantae
Animalia
What is the difference?????
*Protista also known as Protoctista
14. Changing (?) Classifications III
The three DOMAIN system:
Not really that different
Archaea are in one domain
Bacteria are in the second domain
All eukaryotes are in the third domain
Kingdoms are the next subdivision
below the domain
15. The Protists
An ‘unnatural’ group
At the moment it is a ‘collect all’ (like
a junk drawer)
If it isn’t a plant, animal, fungus,
archaean or bacterium, then it is a
Protist
In time, as we learn more, we will take
things out of this group and then there
may be more kingdoms, phyla, etc.