understanding biodiversity pt 3 Flashcards
1
Q
Who was carl linneaus?
A
- 1700s scientist
- deeply religious, all scholarly work was constrained by the church and his religion
- we mainly know him for the linnean naming system
2
Q
What kind of approaches did enlightenment taxonomists use?
A
- reductionist approach
- breaking the organism down into its basic traits and parts, as a collection of characteristics
3
Q
what was the naming system prior to linneaus?
A
- species names were long and unstable
- attempted to provide a complete description of the organism
- also different taxonomists would use different names
- naming was not consistent
4
Q
how did linnaeus develop the binomial naming system
A
- he simplified species descriptor to a single word
- he used a genus specific epithet, and a “vulgar name”
- vulgar name needed to be unique only within a genus
5
Q
why were Linnaeus’ naming system initially seen as scandalous?
A
- his classification of plants were named from sex organs
- number of stamens was classes
- number of pistols were orders
6
Q
What is a ‘type’ specimen?
A
- a specimen/individual preserved in collection
- possesses all of the traits that describe the species, but not all variation
7
Q
What is the main problem with the Linnaean classification system?
A
- Trying to make the linnaean system fit evolutionary hypothesis and phylogenetic relationships is difficult
- ex. with convergent evolution, organisms that appeared similar though not closely related, Linnaeus would group and name together.
