Biological Classification and Taxonomy

Flashcards covering key concepts related to biological classification and taxonomy based on the lecture notes.

What is the Binomial Classification system?

A system that organizes organisms by their Genus and species.

What are the two parts of the Binomial Nomenclature?

The first part is the genus and the second part is the specific epithet.

List the classification (Domain - Species) for the American Black bear.

Domain: Eukarya, Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Carnivora, Family: Ursidae, Genus: Ursus, Species: americanus.

What is Taxonomy?

The branch of biology that identifies, names, and classifies species based on their natural relationships.

What limitation did Aristotle's classification system have?

It viewed organisms as unchanging and did not account for evolution.

What did Linnaeus's system of classification fail to incorporate after Darwin's contributions?

It did not consider species evolving from others, despite possible behavioral changes.

Define Phylogeny.

The study of the evolutionary history and relationships between species and their common ancestors.

What is the Biological species concept?

Defines a species as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, but cannot reproduce successfully with members of other species.

What is a Molecular Clock?

A method that uses the rate of genetic mutations to estimate when two species diverged from a common ancestor.

What are Cladistics?

A method of classifying organisms based on shared derived characteristics, grouping them in a tree-like structure called a cladogram.

What are Derived characters?

Traits that evolved in a lineage after it diverged from a common ancestor, distinguishing members of that group.

What are Ancestral characters?

Traits inherited from a distant common ancestor and retained in multiple descendant lineages.