What is Taxonomy? |
Who was Carolus Linneaus? |
Taxonomy is the brach of science that focuses on the classification of organisms, meaning that with it all organisms are named and described. Based on morphological, behavioral, genetic, and biochemical observation taxonomist are able to identify species and put them into certain classifications. A latin scientific name is given to specific species as a unique label in order to help us know and understand more about them just based of the name. This name, also referred to as "binomial nomenclature", is made up of a specific name for the the given species and the genus to which the species belongs to. Taxonomists are the one who give the scientific names through the taxonomic process. They begin by sorting specimens into separate sets. They work through identification guides, reading description, and comparing the specimens to other similar ones. As times this comparison may just be in regard to external character, but molecular DNA analysis and dissection of internal structures are also methods used in order to reach the classification needed.
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Born on May 23, 1707 in the province of Smaland in southern Sweden, Carolous Linnaeus is often referred to as the "Father of Taxonomy." His system for naming, ranking, and classifying organisms is still used today, with some modifications of course. After finishing his medical degree at the University of Harderwijk in 1735, he published the first edition of his classification of living things, Systema Naturae. Through out the next years Linnaeus met or corresponded with Europe's greatest botanists, and together they continued to revised Systema Naturae and develop his classification scheme. Since Aristotle, biologists had used the word genus to signify a group of similar organisms, but for Linnaeus the groups could be put into higher categories. He put the genera into orders, and the orders into classes, and the classes into Kingdoms, thus creating a more specific description of the species. Later biologists added additional ranks in order to express levels of similarity.
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