http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0776195.html

1. Classifying Creatures!
Molly Dahlgren

2. Q: With all the living creatures in the world, how do
you people keep track of them?
A: With a system called “biological classification” or
“scientific taxonomy”
Q: Who thought of it?
A: Carlous Linnaeus, a botanist (plant scientist) from
Sweden
Fast Fact: The Swedish scientist found and classified
more than 4,400 species of animals
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0776195.html

3. The Different Parts of
Classification…
We’ll focus on animals for this lesson

4. Kingdom
• Largest group
• For animals: Animalia
• Includes:
– all living things except plants and bacteria
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0776195.html

5. Phylum
Vertebrate Invertebrate
• Backbone • No backbone
• Also called • Also called Arthropoda
Chordata
– Internal – External skeletons
skeletons
Looks at the structure of the
animal’s body
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0776195.html

6. Class
Looks at certain traits of the animal
• Warm or cold blooded?
• Fur/body hair?
• Limbs/wings? Examples:
• Way of breathing? • Mammalia (mammal)
• Amphibia (amphibians)
• Insecta (insects, bugs)
• Arachnida
(arachnid, spiders)
• Aves (bird)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_classification

7. Order
Focuses on what and how the
animal eats
Animals of a
For mammals: different class than
• Carnivora mammals have
• Herbivora different types/names
• Omnivora of order
Source: Molly Dahlgren

8. Family
• More specific
classification based on
looks and smaller
Leopard is a cat so
groups
it’s from the feline
• Example
family
– Canine (dogs)
– Feline (cats)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard

9. Genus
• This classification is Leopard
even more specific! Cat
• Looks at certain traits of “Roars”
the animal So it’s part of the roaring cat
genus “Panthera”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard

10. Species
• Smallest group in taxonomy
• Most specific
• Names the animal itself
Leopard: P. pardus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0776195.html

11. Leopard
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Mammalia
Class: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: P. pardus
Source 6
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_classification

12. More Creatures
Gray Wolf
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora Salmon
Family: Canidae Kingdom: Animalia
Genus: Canis Phylum: Chordata
Species: C. lupus Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoninformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Salmo
Species: S. salar
Sources 2, 4
Sources 1, 3

13. Quiz Time!
What class would the bear be
classified as?
Source 5

14. A Mammal!
Is an animal
Has a backbone
Warm blooded
Has fur

15. Why do we need a classification
system?
• Organizes the thousand of animals on earth
• Easier identification
• Gives information about the animal
Remember!
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Specie
s
King Phillip Came Over From Great Spain
http://listverse.com/2007/12/17/top-10-scientific-mnemonics/

16. Works Cited
Information: Background Image:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf http://www.ipadwallpaperhd.com/view/leopard_print
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_salmon _background-1440x900.html
Pictures:
3. http://www.revolutionmyspace.com/image-code-
8/gray_wolf
4. http://animalscamp.com/atlantic-salmon/
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brown-bear-in-
spring.jpg
6.http://ourpreciousneighbours.wordpress.com/2011/
04/27/leopard/