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“We have more to learn from animals than animals have to learn from us.” (Anthony)

A Swedish botanist, Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778), was the inventor of the modern scientific classification. He classified and described more than 4,400 species of animals and 7,700 species of plants. There are billions of different kinds of living things (or organisms) on Earth. To help study them, biologists have devised ways of naming and classifying them according to their similarities and differences.

The system most scientists use puts each living thing into seven groups (or taxons). They are organized from most general (largest) to most specific (smallest). The more features that a group of animals share, the more specific the group is. Animals are given scientific names so that people all around the world can communicate about animals no matter what language they speak.

Kingdom-All living organisms are first placed into different kingdoms. There are five different kingdoms to classify life on Earth, which are Animals, Plants, Fungi, Bacteria, and Protists (single-celled organisms). Kingdoms are huge groups, encompassing millions of kinds of organisms each. All animals are in one kingdom (called Kingdom Animalia); all plants are in another (Kingdom Plantae). In the most widely-used system, there are five kingdoms, containing

Phylum-The animal kingdom is divided into 40 smaller groups, known as phylum. Here, animals are grouped by their main features. Animals usually fall into one of five different phylum which are Cnidaria (invertebrates), Chordata (vertebrates), Arthropods, Molluscs and Echinoderms.

Class-The phylum group is then divided into even smaller groups, known as classes. The Chordata (vertebrates) phylum splits up into Mammalia (Mammals), Actinopterygii (Bony Fish), Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish) Aves (Birds), Amphibia (Amphibians) and Reptilia (Reptiles).

Order-Each class is divided into small groups again known as orders. The class Mammalia (Mammals) splits into different groups including Carnivora, Primate, Artiodactyla and Rodentia.

Family-In every order, there are different families of animals which all have very similar features. The Carnivora order breaks into families that include Felidae (Cats), Canidae (Dogs), Ursidae (Bears), and Mustelidae (Weasels).

Genus-Every animal family is then divided into small groups known as genus. Each genus contains animals that have very similar features and are closely related. For example, the Felidae (Cat) family contains genus including Felis (small Cats and domestic Cats), Panthera (Tigers, Leopards, Jaguars and Lions) and Puma (Panthers and Cougars).

Species-Each individual species within the genus is named after its individual features and characteristics. The names of animals are in Latin so that they can be understood worldwide, and consist of two words. The first word in the name of an animal will be the genus, and the second name indicates the specific species. Species are the smallest groups. A species consists of all the animals of the same type, who are able to breed and produce young of the same kind. For example, while any two great white sharks are in the same species as are any two makos. Great whites and makos are in different species (since they can't interbreed).

Sample Classifications

 Humans

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mamallia
Order: Primate
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Sapiens

Lion

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Genus: Panthera

Species: Leo

 Orangutan
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Pongo

Species: Pongo Pygmaeus

 Tiger
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrate)
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: Panthera Tigris

 “Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. [These are] difficult standards for people to live up to.” (Alfred A. Montapert)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “Animal Classification” by AZ Animals

·        “Classifying Animals” by Factmonster

·        “What is the full taxonomy classification of humans?” by Socratic Q&A

 

Carolus Linnaeus