Classification

Classification

What is Classification?

• Classification is the arrangement of

organisms into orderly groups
based on their similarities

Why classify?

• There are millions of different

living things in the world

• Making sense of all those living

things requires classification

• Classifying living things makes it

easier for biologists to answer
questions

Levels of Classification

Domain
• Kingdom
• Phylum (plural: phyla)
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus (plural: genera)
• Species (contains only one kind of organism)

The Three Domains and the Six Kingdoms

Domain

Archaea

Bacteria

Eukarya/
Eukaryota

Kingdom Archebacteria

or Archaea

Eubacteria or

Bacteria

Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia

Taxonomy

• Carolus Linnaeus

was a Swedish
physician and
botanist who lived in
the 1700’s.

• Linnaeus founded

taxonomy

• taxonomy - the

science of
identifying,
classifying, and
naming living things

Binomial nomenclature

• Two-part scientific name
• The first part of the name

identifies the genus, and the
second part identifies the species
– Ex. Tyrannosaurus rex
– Ex. Elephas maximus (Indian

elephant)

Dichotomous key

• Aid in identifying unknown

organisms

Wacky People Key

1a Two feet

2

1b Some other number of feet 3

2a Does not look at all human

4

2b Looks a lot like a human5

3a One leg

6

3b Three or four legs

7

4a Fly-like

Mosk cara

4b Not fly-like

8

5a Seems to be a girl

Rita nita

5b Not a girl

9

6a Leg is curled , two feet

Ru-ela brella

6b Leg is straight, one foot

Giggles

7a Three legs

10

7b Four legs

11

8a Has webbed feet Hex oculate

8b Clawed feet

12

9a Curly hair, no toes Lugio wirum

9b Wiggly looking mouth,
three toes on feet

Cutey nile

10a Very long nose, open mouth

Elle funk

10b Some other appearance

13

11a Has duck bill, two pinchers

Tri duckt

11b No arms or pinchers

14

12a Has ears, tail, and beak Grif leon

12b Four eyes on stalks Eggur ondy

13a One eye, webbed feet Cue kide

13b Four stalked eyes, four pinchers

Quadrumenox

14a Three toed feet, nose like a flower

Tunia petalos

14b Spider-like, has spots

Patterned mulywumpus