Taxonomy
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
Taxonomy is a branch of science focused on the classification of organisms into an ordered system. The Linnean Taxonomic Hierarchy was developed in the 18th century by Carolus Linnaeus. It is still used today by scientists in a modified form. These modifications include the addition of more taxons and the appliance of cladistics to decide the classification of an organism.
As Carolus Linnaeus's work Systema Naturae was published over 100 years before Darwin published his theory on evolution, his writings do not mention or makes any references to evolution theory. Linnaeus was a deeply religious man, believing his work "would reveal the Divine order of God's creation".
The system originally involved grouping organism based on the easily observable characteristics they share in common (morphology). All organisms within any given group possess features that are common to all members. Each group is then subdivided so as to further distinguish its members based on their differences. This hierarchy of groups and subgroups provides a systematic method for classifying and naming organisms ranging from very general similarities to ever increasingly detailed. Since the theory of evolution gained widespread acceptance among scientist, and the use of biotechnology has gained much popularity, microbiological similarities have changed where some species are placed in the system.
Within the hierarchy, all of the organisms in a particular group (i.e. Kingdom) possess certain features that unite them together. Within each Kingdom, there are usually several phyla that are each distinct from the other phyla in that Kingdom. And within each phylum, there are usually several classes that can likewise be distinguished from one another - and so on. The species is the smallest grouping of organisms, although there can be many varieties or subspecies.
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The Taxonomic Hierarchy:
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Modern Taxonomy
Until recently, The Kingdom level was the broadest grouping of organisms, of which there were 5 generally recognized. For many textbooks, these 5 will still be recognized (Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Monera).
More recently Monera was divided into Eubacteria and Archaea (formerly known as Archaebacteria) rendering six kingdoms. Subsequently, Archaea and Eubactera (now Bacteria) were elevated along with Eukaryota to the level of Domains. In the following table, the 6 Kingdom system is displayed, although individual pages will identify the latter two as domains.
It should also be noted that most of the levels shown in the hierarchy above have been further subdivided or elevated. Common prefixes used with the root taxonomy designations include: sub, infra, and super.
| Kingdom | Examples |
|---|---|
| Plantae | Mosses, Ferns, Flowering plants, Conifers |
| Animalia | Reptiles, Birds, Mammals, Insects |
| Protista | Ciliates, Flagellates, Amoeba, Algae |
| Fungi | Molds, Mildew, Fungus, Yeast |
| Bacteria | Bacteria (formerly Eubacteria) |
| Archaea | Halophiles, Methanogens, Thermophiles |
Species
- Main Article: Species
The specific scientific name given to any organism is a binomial comprised of the names of the genus and species to which the individual belongs. For example, the Gray Wolf belongs to the Genus-Canis and the Species-Lupas, and therefore, its scientific name is Canis lupas. Species in the same genus can never have the same species-name, but species belonging to different genera can share species-name. An example is Lathyrus sativus and Crocus sativus. The name of the genus is always written with the first letter capitalized, while the species-name is written in small caps. Furthermore the subspecies is represented by a trinomial, which contains the species binomial plus the specific subspecies name.
Cladistics
- Main Article: Cladistics
Taxonomy is different than cladistics. Cladistics is the classification of species by ancestry. Taxonomy, on the other hand, is the classification of species by their characteristics, but makes no claim to their ancestry. While creationists and evolutionists disagree fundamentally on cladistics, they agree for the most part on taxonomy.
References
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See Also
Taxonomy Templates
- Taxonomy Template Use these templates for creating a Taxonomy box on pages that describe particular organisms or taxa.
- Plant Template
- Animal Template
- Taxobox Taxobox suitable for customization for specific applications.
External links
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Categories: Science | Biology | Taxonomy
