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MY FIRST LESSON IN TAXONOMY/CLASSIFICATION AND HOW TO IDENTIFY SPECIES (KEY). Taxonomy and Classification. Keeping track of species. Taxonomy: describing and naming an organism >1 million species named, up to 15 million more
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MY FIRST LESSON IN TAXONOMY/CLASSIFICATION AND HOW TO IDENTIFY SPECIES (KEY)
Keeping track of species Taxonomy: describing and naming an organism >1 million species named, up to 15 million more Taxonomy is not new; cultures have been naming plants and animals around them for 1000s of years It’s practical to have names
Binomial Nomenclature Standard system for naming things Linnaeus described and named > 6,000 animals and >4,000 plants using Latin Scientific name does not replace, but instead further defines common name
“Watch out—there’s a bear behind that rock! OR “Watch out--there is a large, furry, four-legged omnivore with long claws, a big mouth set in a short, stout muzzle, attached to a round head containing small eyes and short triangular ears behind that rock!”
Q. What is the largest wild felid (cat) in the United States? Mountain Lion Cougar Panther Painter Puma Catamount
Taxonomic hierarchy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Specific epithet (species)
Early naming of species 1st word was a noun: Genus 2nd word was an adjective: Specific epithet Genus + specific epithet = scientific name of a species
Procyon lotor • Pro = early • Cyon = dog • Lotor = swimming Spermophilus tridecemlineatus • Sperm = seed • Philus = loving • Tridecem = 13 • Lineatus = line
Rattus rattus • Rat rat Mus musculus • Mouse tiny mouse • “mouse” derived from “thief”
May tell you where it was first discovered: • Didelphis virginiana “2 wombs from Virginia” • Sylvilagus floridanus “wood-hare of Florida” Or who discovered it: • Lepus townsendii “hare” discovered by “Townsend”
Taxonomic goals Place organisms into logical categories • system must be capable of being used for information retrieval, so anyone can properly identify any organism Place organisms into categories that show ancestor-descendant relationships
Taxonomic hierarchy Kingdom (Animalia) Phylum (Chordata) Class (Mammalia) Order (Carnivora) Family (Canidae) Genus (Canis) Specific epithet (species) (familiaris) Scientific name: Canis familiaris
KEYING SPECIES 1. Leaves compound. 2. Leaves alternate. 3. Leaves once-pinnately compound …. 3. Leaves twice-pinnately compound …. 2. Leaves opposite …. 1. Leaves simple. 13. Leaves needle-shaped, strap-shaped, or scalelike (conifers) …. 13. Leaves broad and flat (hardwoods). 21. Leaves opposite, subopposite, or whorled …. 21. Leaves alternate or clustered, never opposite or whorled …. 26. Margin of leaf blades entire or only slightly undulate …. 26. Margin of leaf blades serrate, toothed, or lobed …. 33. Margin of leaf blades lobed …. 33. Margin of leaf blades serrate to coarsely toothed ….
Keying out individuals: hints • Learn the terminology of the group • Learn where to look for the descriptive characteristic • generic labeled pictures help! • Know WHERE the samples were collected • Sylvilagus palustris (marsh rabbit) is south of the fall line in GA • S. aquaticus (swamp rabbit) is north of fall line • S. obscurus (Appalachian cottontail) is found in mountainous areas
Keying out individuals: hints • Know the habitat type • Have measuring instruments in hand • Once you can identify key features of groups, you can skip over the early parts of the key, and jump straight to Family, for instance
