Why Classify

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Why Classify?
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What is classification?

• Organizing things based on their
  characteristics-placing them in groups
• Taxonomy giving objects a name

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What do we classify?

• Cavemen
• .
• .
• .
• Musicians
• .
• .
• .

• Scientists
• .
• .
• .
• YOU?????

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Aristotle

• Back in the B.C. days
• Classified things by how they moved
• If they moved Animal
• If they didnt move Plant
• If they were an animal, how did they move?
• Walking
• Swimming
• Flying

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So whats the problem?

• Things that move alike may NOT be related
• Things that dont move alike may BE related
• Some things dont fit in any category
• Some things can fit in several categories

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Then what do we do?

• Agree on what to look at
• Agree on what to call it
• Change things if you find out more
• Classification systems
• Classification key ( or dichotomous key)
• Binomial nomenclature (two names)

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Lets do it!!!!