Taxonomy & Phylogenetics Flashcards
What is taxonomy?
The study of the classification of organisms
Deal with the naming & grouping of organisms
What is systematic taxonomy?
The study of the historical, evolutionary & genetic relationships among organisms & of their similarities & differences
Organises the diversity of living things in an evolutionary context - i.e. taxonomy/classification reflects phylogeny
What is a taxon?
The named taxonomic unit (e.g. Homo sapiens, Hominaidae, Mammalia) to which individuals or sets of individuals are assigned
What are higher taxa?
Those above species level
Why is there a need for classification?
There are a very large number of species so they need to be split into groups
Helps us to identify how one species relates to another
Give 4 reasons for the need for classification?
- Biodiversity & conservation
- Diseases & pests
- Food
- Plants of medicinal use
Why is classification needed for biodiversity & conservation?
If we are interested in BIODIVERSITY then we need to know what is there
Only way we can CENSUS the worlds flora and fauna = give them all names
Why is classification needed for diseases & pests?
Bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic diseases need identifying if we are to decide how to treat them
Species that act as vectors of disease need identifying if we are to control them
Why is classification needed for diseases & pests
Bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic diseases need identifying –> if we are to decide how to treat them
Species that act as vectors of disease need identifying if
we are to control them
Why is classification needed for food?
Palatable & toxic foodstuffs e.g. mushrooms need identifying if we are to decide what is safe to eat & what is not
Give an example of when classification has been useful for controlling disease:
PHYTOPTHORA
- Causes potato blight
- Caused potato famine in Ireland in the 1840s
- Still a problem
- Fungicides don’t work
- Phylogenetic analysis shows that Phytopthora should be classified as an Oomycete NOT A FUNGUS
Fungicides don’t work
How did Aristotle help with classification?
Grouped living things together over 2,000 years ago
Divides animals into 3 groups based on where they lived:
- land
- water
- air
Divided plants into 3 grps based on the differences in their stems
Who is Carolus Linnaeus?
Swedish naturalist
Known as the father of the modern system of classification
Published his plan for the classification of all life on the planet in 1758
What was the system for classification the Carolus Linnaeus devised in 1758?
Devised a system of grouping organisms into hierarchal categories
His system for naming, ranking & classifying organisms is the one that is still used today
What is the Linnean system of classification?
Proposed that each organism be given a unique identifier in the form of a two-part name, consisting of generic & specific names in Latin
Genus species - e.g. Homo sapiens
