Classification

• What do you know about classification?

How is a grocery store organized?

What is classification and why is classification important?

• Classification puts things into groups.• It makes things easier to find,

identify, and study.

How would you classify organisms?

What is scientific classification?

• Scientific classification groups all plants and animals on the basis of certain characteristics they have in common.

How do scientists classify organisms?

• Group first into:– Kingdoms (the largest)– Phylum– Class– Order– Family – Genus– Species

• Use binomial nomenclature (two-parted names) to identify species

How many species of animals do you think there are?

As of 2010…

Vertebrate AnimalsMammals 5,490Birds 9,998Reptiles 9,084Amphibians 6,433Fishes 31,300Total Vertebrates 62,305

Invertebrate AnimalsInsects 1,000,000Spiders and scorpions 102,248Molluscs 85,000Crustaceans 47,000Corals 2,175Others 68,827Total Invertebrates 1,305,250

Some of the phyla… of 36• Phylum Porifera (“pore bearing”) – sponges• Phylum Platyhelminthes (“flatworm”)• Phylum Annelida (“ringed) - worms• Phylum Cnidaria (“possessing stings”) – corals, sea

anemones, jellyfish • Phylum Arthropoda (“jointed legs”) – insects and

crustaceans• Phylum Mollusca (“soft bodied”) – snail, squid, octopus,

clam• Phylum Echinodermata (“hedgehog skin”) - sea urchin, sea

cucumber, sea star• Phylum Chordata (chord = string)

Phylum Porifera (“pore bearing”) – sponges

Phylum Platyhelminthes (“flatworm”)

Phylum Annelida (“ringed) - worms

Phylum Cnidaria (“possessing stings”) – corals, sea anemones, jellyfish

Phylum Arthropoda (“jointed legs”) – insects and crustaceans

Phylum Mollusca (“soft bodied”) – snail, squid, octopus, clam

Phylum Echinodermata (“hedgehog skin”) - sea urchin, sea cucumber, sea

star

Phylum Chordata (chord = string)

• Class Chondrichythes (chondro = cartilage; ichthys = fish) – sharks, rays

• Class Osteichythes (osteo = bone) – boney fish• Class Reptilia (reptili = creeping) - turtles,

lizards• Class Amphibia (amphi = on both sides,

double; bios = life) - frogs• Class Aves (avi = a bird) • Class Mammalia (mamma, mammil = milk fed)

Class Chondrichythes (chondro = cartilage; ichthys = fish)

– sharks, rays

Class Osteichythes (osteo = bone) – boney fish

Class Reptilia (reptili = creeping) - turtles, lizards

Class Amphibia (amphi = on both sides, double; bios = life) - frogs

Class Aves (avi = a bird)

Class Mammalia (mamma, mammil = milk fed)