The Classification of Organisms: Abundance of Life

The video explores the vast diversity of life on Earth, highlighting the millions of species and the high extinction rate. It discusses early classification systems by Aristotle, which were too simplistic, and the evolution of taxonomy into a more detailed system using Latin names, developed by Carolus Linnaeus. This modern system, known as binomial nomenclature, assigns each species a two-part name, which is still in use today.

What is the estimated number of different species of living organisms on Earth?

• Over 20 million

• Over 5 million

• Over 1 million

• Over 10 million

What was a major limitation of the early Greek classification system?

• It was too specific

• It only had two broad groups

• It included too many categories

• It was not based on scientific evidence

Which language was used in the Middle Ages to systematically describe groups called Genera?

• Greek

• Latin

• English

• French

Who developed the two-part naming system for species in the 1750s?

• Gregor Mendel

• Carolus Linnaeus

• Charles Darwin

• Aristotle

What is the process of giving each species a genus and species name called?

• Cladistics

• Taxonomy

• Binomial nomenclature

• Phylogenetics