HISTORICAL VIEW

ON LIFE’S
CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM
Lesson 9.1
Shopping is like studying biodiversity on Earth.
It will be difficult to describe and study
organisms if they are not categorized in an
organized manner. It would definitely be easier if
similar organisms are placed together in one
group.
Scientists claimed that the number of actual species that
have not been discovered and identified. is close to
around 8.7 million with 6.5 million species on land and
2.2 million in oceans (Census of Marine Life, August 24,
2011). So far, scientists have only identified, named, and
classified almost two million kinds of organisms on Earth.
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity estimated
that about 13 million species possibly live on Earth while
some scientists still believed that Earth is estimated to
house about 10 million to 100 million different kinds of
organisms. The UN Convention also says that there are
some 13 million species, of which 1.75 million have been
described.
Classification - The process of grouping organisms using a
multilevel approach based on their similarities.

Taxonomy - emerged as the science of naming extant

organisms (those that are living today) as well as extinct
species (those that have died) and classifying them into logical
groups.
- comes from the root word taxis, which means
"arrangement".
Aristotle's Classification System

One primeval system developed was based on "harmful" and

"nonharmful" organisms or edible and nonedible plants.
Aristotle's Classification System
Aristotle - 300 BC. Famous Greek philosopher. Classified
organisms into those with red blood and those without. He
likewise classified organisms as either plants or animals. He also
classified animals based on where they lived such as in land,
water, or air. He subdivided plants based on three categories
using stem differences. This system lasted for 2000 years.
Aristotle
300 BC
 Aristotle’s System

Plants Animals

Soft stems One woody Water

Air dwellers
(herbs) stem (trees) dwellers

Several woody
Land dwellers
stems (shrubs)
Polynomial System of Classsification

Simple system of Aristotle’s classification was expanded by the

Greeks and Romans into genera.

Genera - Latin name for “group”. Basic units - cats, oaks, and
horses. In the Middle Ages, these names began to systematically
written down by scholars.
Polynomial System of Classsification
Cats - Felis
Horses - Equus
Oaks - Quercus

Before mid-1700s, biologists affixed a series of descriptive

terms to the name of the genus if they wanted to refer to a
certain kind of organism within it, known as species.
Polynomial System of Classsification
Polynomials - many phrases, starting with the genus. It is made
up of about 12 or more Latin words strung together.

This polynomial naming system during the Middle Ages

persisted until it was replaced about 250 years ago by the
binomical system as introduced by Carolus Linnaeus.
Carolus Linnaeus
The Linnean System of Classification

Naturalists replaced Aristotle's classification system

because it was unable to provide an adequate coverage of
all organisms. His system of assigning polynomial names
was cumbersome, thus a much simpler system of naming
animals, plants, and other organisms was organized (only
two names).
The Linnean System of Classification

The use of common names for organisms had been

confusing and problematic. This all changed in 1758 when
a Swedish doctor and botanist, Carolus Linnaeus, published
the 10th edition of his book, Systema Naturae.
The Linnean System of Classification
The naming system of Linnaeus is called binomial
nomenclature, where binomial means "two names." This
scientific naming of organisms has standardized the way
organisms are classified and named, and is still being used
until today. Taxonomy does not only involve naming
organisms properly but also categorizing organisms into
logical groups.
The Linnean System of Classification

Linnaeaus was also responsible for proposing the

placement of organisms into a seven- level hierarchical
system for classifying organisms based on their form and
structure. He categorized organisms from the general to
most specific level. The levels are kingdom, phylum, class,
order, family, genus, and species.
Modern System of Classification
A modern approach to taxonomy is called systematics,
which focuses on analyzing the diversity of organisms in
the context of their natural relationships. In systematics,
phylogenists use of fossils, homologous structures,
embryological similarities, life cycle information,
chromosomes, protein composition, and DNA sequences to
establish evolutionary ancestry.
Modern System of Classification
Since the previous classification system focuses on physical
similarities alone, some organisms need to be reclassified
due to the accumulation of findings over time. Although
convergent evolution involves two unrelated species that
can evolve similar traits, the Linnaean system does not
account for this type of evolutionary similarity.
THE BINOMIAL
NAMING OF
ORGANISMS
Lesson 9.2
As mentioned, Linnaeus' legacy is the assigning of two
Latin names to a certain species, known as binomial
nomenclature (bi means "two", nomen means "name" and
calatus means "list"). Having a common way of naming
organisms, such as the binomial nomenclature, allows
scientists to effectively communicate and exchange
scientific information in spite of their geographical and
cultural differences.
Since biology is being studied all over the world, one
species may have several common names. just one
scientific name reduces confusion, especially if they are
sharing information
In man's scientific name, Homo sapiens, the first word
"homo" is its genus. A genus (plural: genera) is a
classification or grouping that contains similar, closely
related organisms.
For example, lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars are all
classified under the genus, Panthera. Under this genus,
Panthera animals share common characteristics such as
large body size, ability to roar, being a keen swimmer, and
sharp teeth and retractable claws for hunting prey even
much larger than their own size.
The second word in the scientific name is the specific
epithet referring to the distinctive feature or descriptor of
the organism, usually their appearance, the name of the
scientists who first described them, or the native location of
the species. Combining the genus and the specific epithet
forms the unique scientific name of a certain species. Recall
that a species is a group of organisms sharing similar
characteristics, allowing them to mate and produce fertile
offsprings
How do you properly write a scientific name using the
binomial nomenclature?
 Notice that the proper way of writing a scientific name is
written in italics or underlined. Only the first letter of the
genus is capitalized while the rest including the specific
epithet are in lowercase. In printed manuscripts, the
scientific name must be italicized. If written by hand, both
parts of the name must be underlined.
After the scientific name has been introduced and written
completely in the manuscript, the genus can already be
abbreviated thereafter. For example, Homo sapiens can
already by written as H. sapiens. Notice as well that
scientific names are in Latin words. Linnaeus used them as
they are the language used by scientists during his time.
As mentioned, taxonomists also name organisms using
Latinized words that usually describe the organism, their
place of location, or their discoverer. These words could
give us clues as to the characteristics of the, the place where
it was first identified or even the person who first identified
it organism.
 Some species were named after their discoverer, such as
the Philippine gliding lizard (Draco rizali), which was
discovered by Jose Rizal. Several animal and plant species
were named with "philippinensis" because they were first
identified and are endemic in the Philippines.
Such scientific names include Phalaenopsis philippinensis
(Philippine orchid found in Luzon), Bubo philippinensis
(Philippine eagle owl), Naja philippinensis (Philippine
cobra), and Sus philippinensis (a warty pig in Luzon,
Mindoro, and Palawan).
THE HIERARCHY
OF TAXONOMIC
CLASSIFICATION
Lesson 9.3
The classification system used by
scientists today are based from the
legacy of Carolus Linnaeus.
During his time, the classification
system has seven levels or taxa
arranged from the most general to
the most specific.
Taxonomic Ranks and Examples of Species
Animal Example Taxonomic Rank
Eukarya Domain
Animalia Kingdom
Chordata Phylum
Mammalia Class
Primate Order
Huminidae Family
Homo Genus
Sapiens Species
Human Common Name
Today, organisms are classified into eight levels, with
domain as the highest category. Organisms are categorized
in a broad group followed by placing them into more
specific groups. It is important to remember that the more
classification levels that two organisms share, the more
characteristics they commonly share as well.
 A taxon refers to a group with any rank - Domain Bacteria
is a taxon, Class Mammalia is a taxon, and the Order Aves
is also a taxon. Domain is the highest level of organization.
Within the domain, there are kingdoms. There are several
kingdoms within the Domain Eubacteria and Archaea based
from the differences in metabolism and genetic
composition.
Under the Domain Eukarya, there are four Kingdoms:
Plantae, Animalia, Fungi, and Protista. Within kingdoms,
there are phyla (singular: phylum). Organisms that are
placed in the same phyla are based on the nature of their
structure, metabolism, and biochemical characteristics.
For example, the cat family Felidae, within the Carnivora
order, contains several genera, such as genus Felis for the
domestic cat or Panthera for tiger, leopards, and lions. Each
genus contains one or more species. In a more in-depth
taxonomic analysis, each category of classification can be
subdivided further into three additional categories such as
superorder, suborder, and infraorder. Thus, there are more
than 30 categories of classification.
 Genus: Panthera

Family: Felidae
Order: Carnivora
Class:
Mammalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia Domain:
Bacteria Archaea
Eukarya
The genus Panthera includes all the big cat families whereas
the family Felidae includes both large and small cat
families.
SYSTEMATICS:
TRACING OUR
LIFE’ HISTORY
Lesson 9.4
The tree of life concept was first proposed by Charles
Darwin in his book On the Origin of Species, where he used
a tree as an analogy to demonstrate that all of the species
originated from one or two species. Darwin imagined that
organisms' evolution could be represented by a branching
tree, with the more recently evolved organisms at the tips of
the outer branches while the more ancient or extinct ones
are at the inner branches or at the base.
Charles Darwin
 He envisioned that the ancestral groups of species reside at
the bottom of the tree, with the branches containing related
species and the tips of twigs representing the individual
living species.
It was during the time of Ernst Haeckel that the term "tree
of life" was used. It represented the diversity of life forms
on Earth during his time. It is important to note, however,
that some limitations, such as the pace or tempo of
evolution, cannot be reflected in the length of the branches
in the evolutionary tree.
This tree was then known as the evolutionary tree of life,
which was also used in the field of taxonomy as basis for
classifying organisms.
The phylogenetic species system of classification believed
that classifying organisms should not only rely on showing
the relationships of organisms based on physical similarities
and differences but also based on their ancestry and
descent. This evolutionary relationship should be able to
trace back the possible origin of organisms and the
development of their present forms.
 Thus, a modern approach to classification emerged and is
called systematics, which focuses on analyzing the diversity
of organisms in the context of their natural relationships.
Taxonomy is the science of describing, naming, and
classifying species. Phylogenetics or phylogenetic
systematics is the science that focuses on the evolutionary
history of a group of species. It deals with identifying the
evolutionary relationships among the many different kinds
of life on Earth, both living (extant) and dead (extinct).
 Taxonomists and phylogenists work hand in hand to make
a more accurate depiction of the tree of life. The underlying
principle behind the evolutionary theory states is
similarities among organisms are a result of common
descent, or inheritance from a common ancestor.
Biologists map out the relationships of organisms through
the construction of a phylogenetic tree. A phylogenetic tree
is an illustration or a diagram used to visually present the
evolutionary relationships or variability among groups of
organisms. It can depict a branching tree diagram similar to
a family tree, where family members are linked closer if
they are more related or farther if they are not.
 The hierarchical classification of groups is nested within
inclusive categories. The point at which a split has occurred
is called a branch point, which shows a single lineage
evolving to two different branches.
 A common ancestor is usually found at the base of all the
branches of the tree which is known as the "root," meaning
this is the source where all species are derived from. It is
important to note that taxonomic and phylogenetic
relationships are constantly being revised as more and more
evidence are gathered.
Cladistics is a common method used by taxonomists to
create an evolutionary tree. Cladistics relies on common
ancestry as basis for establishing the classification on how
organisms descended from a common ancestor.
Cladistic analysis define groups by distinguishing between
ancestral and derived characters. Ancestral characters are
traits inherited from the common ancestor of the group
whereas derived characters are features that are different
from those present in the group.
 Derived traits are traits shared by certain species different
from others, which can be used as basis for establishing
evolutionary relationships. Derived traits usually represent
novelty or a newly inherited change. In reconstructing
phylogenetic relationships, systematists use shared derived
characters to make a diagram.
The resulting diagram is called a cladogram, which depicts
patterns of shared derived traits among groups of
organisms. In a cladogram, the more related the species are,
the more derived traits they can share. A group of species
sharing common derived traits is represented as a clade in
the cladogram.
 When organisms change distinctly and do not share a
common trait anymore from the rest of the group, it
branches off into a new clade. During a cladistic study,
certain organisms that are found to not possess shared
derived traits with other groups are classified as an
outgroup.
THANK YOU
Members:
EUNICE RUIZ
JOSEPH MOLOBOCO
GABRIELLA ISABELLE
VIILLANUEVA
ZEIGFRED SALARZON