Species and taxonomy

What is Phylogeny

The study of the evolutionary history of a group of organisms

What is phylogenetics

Phylogenetic studies tell us who is related to whom and how closely related they are

On a phylogenetic tree, what does it mean if the branches are close together

The species diverged more recently

What is taxonomy

The science of classification

There are 8 levels of groups. Each group is called a taxon

What are the taxa’s from biggest to smallest

Domain

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genius

Species

How are organisms named

According to the binomial system of nomenclature

1. First name is the genus name

2. Second name is the species name

What is a species

A group of similar organisms able to reproduce and produce fertile offspring

What are the difficulties with taxonomy

Species evolve over time

Artificial selection leads to variety of breeds

You cant always see reproductive behaviour

Practical and ethical issues