Ecology and Evolution

1
Ecology and Evolution

• Classification
• Identifying Living Organisms

2
Classification

• Why classify organisms?
• Species identification Provides an organized
  catalogue that allows us to find and interpret
  species characteristics
• Predictive value allows is to make inferences
  and to establish similarities about members of
  the same taxonomic groups
• Evolutionary links species that are in the same
  group probably share characteristics because they
  have evolved from a common ancestor, so the
  classification of groups can be used to predict
  how they evolved.

3
Scientific names

• Binomial Nomenclature Species and genus
• Species is defined as a group of organisms with
  similar characteristics, which can interbreed and
  produce fertile offspring. Every species is
  classified into a genus
• Genus is a group of similar species
• Musca domestica
• Gorilla gorilla
• Homo sapiens
• Pan troglodytes
• Drosophila melanogaster

4
Five Kingdoms

• Classwork List chacteristics
• Prokaryotae Monerans all type of bacteria
• Protoctista- simplest eukaryotic organisms, w/
  unicellular and multicellular organisms amoeba
  and algae
• Fungi- eukaryotic organisms with chitin in their
  cell walls
• Plantae- eukaryotic organisms with cellulose in
  their cell walls mosses, ferns, gymnosperms and
  angiosperms
• Animalia-eukaryotic organisms w/out cell walls

5
Levels of Classification

• Blue whale Humans
• Kingdom Animalia Animalia
• Phylum Chordata Chordata
• Class Mammalia Mammalia
• Order Cetacea Primate
• Family Balaenopteridae Hominidae
• Genus Balaenoptera Homo
• Species Baleanoptera musculus Homo
  sapiens

6
Taxonomic Keys

• Also called dichotomous or identification keys
• They are two branched keys designed to allow
  the identification of organisms in the field
• They are specific to areas and groups of
  organisms
• . Researchers often need to make inventories of
  organisms in the field. Taxonomic keys are good
  tools