Module 1: Introducing Systematics

systematics

surveys

The study of the kinds and diversity of organisms and the relationships existing among them is what we refer to as _____________.

Biological systematics seeks to establish the nature of this diversity through field _________ and analysis of data (molecular, biogeographical, taxonomic, behavioral etc.)

taxonomic; evolutionary

Systematics employs _______________ work but also makes suggestions on how the kinds and diversity of life came about by using an ______________ perspective.

taxonomy

Meanwhile, the theory and practice of describing, identifying, naming, and classifying life on Earth is what we term as ____________.

Just remember the acronym D-I-N-C to best understand the process of taxonomy

description

Taxonomy

Characters used in _____________ mainly involve those that can be perceived by your senses, i.e. touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing.

identification

In taxonomy, _______________ starts with information that is already known and we use this to make sense of the unknown.

Identification keys, pictorial guides, museum databases, taxonomic publications are just some of the tools used for identification.

universality; distinct

Why do biologists bother themselves with nomenclature?

The best answer for this would come from the International Code for Zoological Nomenclature and the International Code of Nomenclature.

“The objects of these Codes are to promote stability & _____________ in the scientific names of animals and to ensure that the name of each taxon is unique and ________.” (ICZN 1999:2, ICN 2018)

Classification; phenon; taxon

____________ is based on grouping organisms into those of similar properties, i.e. _______, and placing these in definite named taxonomic categories, i.e. _______.

phenon

taxon

The term __________ was first proposed by Camp and Gilly (1943) and used by Mayr (1965) to conveniently sort phenotypically similar specimens.

A __________, simply put, is a phenon with a recognized or valid name that is distinct enough to be placed in a category.

category

taxonomic hierarchy

A taxon can be assigned a designated rank or level in a hierarchic classification. We call this abstract term as a __________.

The organization from larger to smaller or more specific categories is called a ______________.

Kingdom

domain

In Linnean classification, the highest category is ____________.

Woese’ lifetime works on microbial evolution led to the discovery of another fundamental category called ___________, a category or rank higher than a kingdom.