What is classification?

Classification is the grouping of animals by certain characteristics or abilities. Even though, every animal has at least one similarity, no animal is truly the same as another. For example, an animal could have similar features, but one could live on land while the other is aquatic. Classification organises animals into 2 or more groups based on their characteristics. Classification is done so that we can observe a group of animals behaviour instead of observing millions of singular animals. Classification is done to keep identifying animals simple. There are many methods of classification. Some scientists are able to classify them by looks and others by their actions.  Scientists who classify animals are called taxonomists. Taxonomists are trained to recognise animals by their appearance or actions. Taxonomists are truly talented people who can classify nearly every living species.

How are living things classified?

Living things are classified on their characteristics. For example, mammals are classified by their fur or hair. Sometimes, there are exceptions, like with the dolphin. You would think the dolphin is a fish, but the dolphin is a mammal due to it having eye lashes. Another example is, the bird, a bird can be class by its feather, beak or 2 legs. Some birds live in water and some don’t. You could classify an amphibian by seeing if it can go on land and under water, by seeing if it has gills and lungs. You can classify an animal by its actions, its characteristics and even its DNA. You can classify animals deeper than mammals and fish or amphibians. You can classify them into carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. Today, we use an adapted version of the Linnaeus System, which was created by Carl Linnaeus.

Carl Linnaeus

Carl Linnaeus is the creator of the Linnaeus System. This System inspired modern day classification. Today, we use an adapted version to group animals and plants.

Carl Linnaeus was born in Råshult, the countryside of Småland, in southern Sweden. He received most of his higher education at Uppsala University and began giving lectures there in 1730. He lived abroad between 1735 and 1738, where he studied and also published the first edition of his Linnaeus System in the Netherlands. He then returned to Sweden where he became professor of medicine and botany at Uppsala. In the 1740s, he was sent on several journeys through Sweden to find and classify plants and animals. In the 1750s and 1760s, he continued to collect and classify animals, plants, and minerals, while publishing several volumes.
Carl split animals up into eight levels and each level would have less amount of animals.
For example, a dog’s eight levels:

Eukarya

Animalia

Chordata

Mammalia

Carnivora

Canidae

Canis

Lupus

He was one of the most acclaimed scientists in Europe at the time of his death.

The System

The System works by having different things that define certain species.

This system is used to classify every species of animal that we currently know of.

Sometimes, scientists have trouble sorting animals into certain groups. For example, the platypus, some scientists describe the platypus as a mamma, others say a fish and some say a bird.

 

A superb and informative blog on classification! Beautifully presented too – well done.