Classification
Project
Juni Lundstol
Levels of classification
Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
The kingdom is the largest and broadest rank in the levels of classification. Within the kingdom there are 6 sub categories: Bacteria, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi and Animalia. The classification expands as the years go by, the classification has changed recently over the years. In 1735 there were only 2 kingdoms, Plantae and Animalia.
kINGDOM
Phylum
Link to Kingdom Animalia
Link to Kingdom Plantae
Within a kingdom living things are classified as phylum. We classify these organisms based on their structure, traits and DNA. The kingdom animalia for example has more than 35 phyla. Also another example of a phylum is cordata in the kingdom animalia.
Class
Within a phylum living things are classified in class. For example phylum cordata has about 21 classes. There are different classes for difference species. Humans also belong to the class mammalia. There are many mammals and they are further classified into sex order.
Order
Within a class living things are classified as order. There are about 19 orders in the class mammalia. The human species belong to the order of primates. What does and does not belong in which order is determined by a taxonomist.
Family
Within an order there are different families. For example there are about 16 families of primates. Humans belong to the family called hominidae. This rank is between order and genus. A family can be divided into more than one subfamilies.
Genus
Within a family there are different genuses. For example the family hominidae had 4 genuses. Humans then belong to the genus homo. We are also very closely related to bonobo, chimpanzees and gorillas. The genus name usually forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus.
Species
Within a genus there are several species. A species is usually called the largest group of organisms capable of producing offspring. Modern humans belong to the homo sapiens species. The other homo species that came before us are now extinct.
Example of an orgnaism and its classification
ORCA WHALE
Class - Mammalia
Orca whlaesa re characterized as ammela because they breathe air with lungs. They are also warm blooded, nurse their young with milk and have hair, at least at some stage in their development
Order - Cetacea
Cetacea is a scientific order of large aquatic mammals that have forelimbs modified into flippers, a horizontally flattened tail, one or two nostrils at the top of the head for breathing, and no hind limbs. Cetaceans include all whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Suborder - Odontoceti
Odontoceti is a scientific suborder of whales characterized by having teeth and a single blowhole. The word "Odontoceti" comes from the Greek word for tooth, odontos.
Family - Delphinidae
Dolphins and their immediate kin are included in the scientific family Delphinidae. This family is represented by about 36 species, including bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, and false killer whales. The killer whale is the largest member of the dolphin family.
Genus Species - Orcinus Orca
The Latin name Orcinus translates as "belonging to Orcus," Orcus was a Roman god of the netherworld, and this genus name is likely a reference to the ferocious reputation of the killer whale. In Latin, orcatranslates "large-bellied pot or jar," but orc- also refers to a whale. A biological review team of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries concluded that the resident, fish-eating killer whales of the North Pacific comprise a distinct (as yet un-named) subspecies.
Extra diagram for levels of classification
