3.1.10 Species and Taxonomy Flashcards
Define Species
Group of similar organisms able to reproduce to give fertile offspring
Describe how the binomial naming system work
Each species is given a Latin name that has 2 parts
- Genus
- Has capital letter
- Species
- Lower case letter
- Names are written in italics or they’re underlined if handwritten e.g. Homo sapiens
Why is the binomial naming system used?
Avoids confusion of using common names
Name 3 difficulties of defining species
- Species are not fixed forever
- Can change and evolve over time into new species
- Many species are extinct and most left no fossils
- Some species are sterile
What is phylogeny?
Study of evolutionary history of groups of organisms
What is this known as?
Phylogenetic tree
What does the 1st branch point represent?
Common ancestor of all family members
Orangoutangs was the 1st group to _____ (evolve to become different species) from this common ancestor?
diverge
What does each following branch points represent?
Another common ancestor from which a different group diverged
Closely related species…
diverged away from each other most recently
What is taxonomy?
Science of classification
Why is taxonomy used?
Makes it easier to identify and study organisms
How many taxa are there?
8 taxas
How are the taxa arranged?
In a hierarchy: largest groups at top & smallest at bottom
Organisms only belong to __ group at each level in hierarchy - no overlap
1