Taxonomy Review

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What is taxonomy?

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Taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming organisms based on shared characteristics.

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What is a dichotomous key?

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A dichotomous key is a tool that allows the identification of organisms through a series of choices that lead the user to the correct name.

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What is binomial nomenclature?

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Binomial nomenclature is a two-part naming system for organisms, consisting of the genus name and the species name.

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What are the main taxonomic ranks in order from broadest to most specific?

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The main taxonomic ranks are: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.

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What is the purpose of a dichotomous key?

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The purpose of a dichotomous key is to help users identify unknown organisms by answering a series of questions.

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What is the difference between genus and species?

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Genus is a group of closely related species, while species is the most specific classification, referring to a single type of organism.

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What is the role of a taxonomist?

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A taxonomist is a scientist who classifies and names organisms, studying their relationships and characteristics.

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What is an example of a taxonomic group?

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An example of a taxonomic group is the family Canidae, which includes dogs, wolves, and foxes.

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How do scientists use taxonomy in biology?

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Scientists use taxonomy to organize and categorize living organisms, making it easier to study biodiversity and evolutionary relationships.

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What is cladistics?

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Cladistics is a method of classifying organisms based on common ancestry and evolutionary relationships.