Classification of Living Things Please write down everything in THIS COLOR

1. Classification of Living ThingsPlease write down everything in THIS COLOR

2. Why do scientists classify? • Biologists use classification to organize living things into groups so that the organisms are easier to study. • Classification: the process of grouping things based on their similarities. • Taxonomy: the scientific study of how living things are classified.

3. The classification system of Linnaeus • 1750s • Swedish scientist named Carolus Linnaeus created a naming system for organisms. • Binomial nomenclature:the naming system for organisms in which each organism is given a two-part name—a genus name and a species name.

4. Genus and Species • Genus: a classification grouping that consists of a number of similar, closely related species. The first part of an organism’s scientific name. • Species: A group of similar organisms that can mate and produce fertile offspring. The second part of an organism’s scientific name.

5. For example…genus • Pumas, ocelots, and housecats are all classified in the genusFelis. They all share characteristics such as sharp, retractable claws and behaviors such as hunting other animals.

6. …and species. • The species name sets one species in a genus apart from another. • The species name often describes a distinctive feature of an organism—where it lives or its color. • Puma: Felis concolor (same color) • Ocelot: Felis pardalis (spotted) • House cat: Felis domesticus (of the house)

7. Specifics • These words are in Latin. • Latin was the language that scientists communicated in during that time. • The entire scientific name is written in italics. • The genus is capitalized and the species begins with a small letter.

8. 7 levels of classification • KINGDOM • PHYLUM • CLASS • ORDER • FAMILY • GENUS • SPECIES • If you can, think of a way to remember these—King Phillip Comes Over For Good Spaghetti

9. Here is the classification of what we know as a leopard

10. Kingdoms • A kingdom is the broadest level of organization. There are 6 main kingdoms: • Animals • Plants • Fungi • Protists • Eubacteria • Archaebacteria

11. Phyla • Within a kingdom there are phyla. • One of the most important phyla classifications is in the animal kingdom. • Animals with backbones are placed in the phylum Chordata. • Animals without backbones are placed in many different phyla

12. Scientists have divided the Animal Kingdom into two main groups: vertebrates (animals with a backbone) invertebrates (animals without a backbone) and

13. Taxonomic or dichotomous key • Taxonomic key: a series of paired statements that describe the physical characteristics of different organisms. • It is also called a dichotomous key (“di” meaning “two”) because at each level on the key there are two choices to identify the organism.

14. Try using a dichotomous key! • http://students.ed.qut.edu.au/n2364379/MDB377/DichotomousKey.html • Use this link to work together as a class to classify different animals.