Classification, Taxonomy, Binomial Nomenclature, and Phylogenetic Classification

Flashcards reviewing key concepts from a biology lecture on classification, taxonomy, binomial nomenclature, and phylogenetic classification.

What is the binomial system?

A universal method for naming organisms, where each organism is named with its genus and species.

What does the term binomial mean?

Two names

How is the binomial name conventionally presented?

Genus gets a capital letter, while the species does not, and it would always be in italics

What is the advantage of the binomial system?

It's universal, so everyone will use the same system; it allows you to see how closely related different species are.

Why do some species look similar even though they are different species?

They both live in similar environments, so they might be exposed to similar climatic conditions and similar selection pressures, leading to similar alleles becoming common in their populations.

What is a hierarchy in terms of classification?

Small groups arranged within large groups and there's no overlap between the groups.

List the order of taxa from broadest to most specific.

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Why do we classify organisms?

Helps us to understand relationships between organisms and track changes (evolution, climate, human impacts).

What modern methods do we use to classify organisms?

DNA base sequences, mRNA base sequences, amino acid sequences, and immunological comparisons.

What is phylogenetic classification?

Grouping organisms according to evolutionary origins and evolutionary relationships.

What do the branches in a phylogenetic tree mean?

It indicates the species they evolved from; the branching points represent the most recent common ancestor.