Edit Article

  • 11,124 views

  • 13 Editors

  • Edited

Three Methods:Taxonomy TableAssigning a Taxonomic ClassificationClassifying an Animal from its Scientific Name

From the humblest jellyfish to the most advanced primates, the animal kingdom houses an extremely diverse selection of organisms. It is estimated that 9-10 million unique species of animals exist on Earth.[1] To organize such an enormous spectrum of diversity, biologists use a system of classification involving stratified "ranks" that group animals according to their similarity. With practice, navigating this system is a cinch! See Step 1 below to get started.

Ad

EditMethod 1 of 3: Taxonomy Table

  1. 1
    Today, the system of biological classification originally derived from the 18th-Century work of botanist Carl Linnaeus contains seven taxonomic ranks. In exceptional cases, some of these ranks can contain internal sub-ranks. However, generally, when biologists speak of taxonomic ranks, they refer to the seven "main" ranks, listed in the table below below from most inclusive to most exclusive. Note that the entries in the "Examples" column are color-coded to show the taxonomic "path" of classifying three example organisms.
    Ad
Taxonomic Ranks of Life
Rank Description Examples
Kingdom The largest of the traditional taxonomic ranks. Divides life into broad, inclusive categories. Animalia, Plantae, Bacteria
Phylum Large groupings dividing members of a kingdom into categories based on certain broad structural and genetic similarities. Chordata, Magnoliophyta, Proteobacteria
Class Medium-level grouping further dividing members of a phylum into more-specific categories based on body plan, common ancestry, etc. Mammalia, Magnoliopsida, Gamma Proteobacteria
Order Grouping dividing members of a class into sub-groups, members of which share specific, definitive features and common ancestry. The general name for a group of animals often comes from its order rank - e.g., members of order Primates are often collectively called "monkeys". Primates, Rosales, Enterobacteriales
Family Fairly specific grouping - divides members of an order into logical, recognizable groups of related organisms. Family names often end it "ae". Hominidae, Rosaceae, Enterobacteriaceae
Genus Specific grouping which divides members of a family into compact groups of closely-related organisms. Nearly all genera's members are direct descendants of a single common ancestor. Genus name forms first part of an organism's scientific name, always put in italics. Homo, Rubus, Escherichia
Species Most-specific classification. Species rankings refer to an exact, specific group of organisms which are essentially identical in terms of morphology. Only members of the same species can breed to produce viable offspring. Species name forms second part of an organism's scientific name and is always in italics. sapiens, rosifolius, coli



Classify Animals Step 1 Version 2.jpg

EditMethod 2 of 3: Assigning a Taxonomic Classification

  1. Classify Animals Step 2 Version 2.jpg
    1
    Start in Kingdom Animalia. All animals are, by definition, members of Kingdom Animalia (sometimes also called "Metazoa"[2]). All organisms within the kingdom are animals and all organisms outside of the kingdom are not animals. Thus, when classifying animals, you'll always be working within this large "umbrella" category.
    • Besides Animalia, the other taxonomic kingdoms are Plantae (plants), Fungi (fungi), Protista (single-celled eukaryotes), and Monera (prokaryotes).
    • As a running example, let's try to classify anatomically modern humans according to the rules of taxonomic classification. Humans are living, breathing animals, so we'll start in kingdom Animalia as directed above.
  2. Classify Animals Step 3 Version 2.jpg
    2
    Assign your animal a phylum. Phylum (plural: phyla) is the rank directly beneath the umbrella category of the Kingdom Animalia. There are 35 different phyla in Kingdom Animalia. Very roughly speaking, each phyla can be thought to group its members according to general morphology or body plan. For instance, members of Phylum Chordata all have a stiff rodlike structure along the whole length (essentially a backbone), with a hollow dorsal nerve cord above and a gut below, while members of Phylum Echinodermata all have five-pointed radial symmetry and a trademark "spiny" skin.
    • It's worth noting that, since the taxonomic ranks were created before the advent of modern genetics technology, incongruities between organisms grouped together in a phylum and their actual genetic similarities can exist in that some phyla has given rise to others, e.g. sponges giving rise to higher animals, and platyhelminthes (flatworms) giving rise to animal phyla with a through-gut.
    • In our example, we would classify humans in Phylum Chordata because we have a hollow dorsal nerve cord above a backbone.
  3. Classify Animals Step 4.jpg
    3
    Assign your animal a class. After the phylum ranking comes an animal's class ranking. Across all the phyla, there are 111 different classes in total. Generally, the members of a class are grouped together based on their genetic and/or morphological similarities. For instance, below are a few examples of classes within Phylum Chordata:
    • Mammalia (Mammals) - warm-blooded, with hair, a four-chambered heart, and mammary glands for secreting milk. Usually (but not always) give live birth.
    • Aves (Birds) - warm-blooded, egg-laying, with a four-chambered heart, feathers and wings.
    • Reptilia (Reptiles) - cold-blooded, egg-laying, with scales or scutes and (usually) three-chambered hearts.
    • Amphibia (Amphibians) - cold-blooded with three-chambered hearts and (usually) a water-bound larval life cycle, water-permeable eggs, and a skin that functions as a respiratory organ.
    • In addition, within Phylum Chordata, a relatively large number of classes for fishes and fish-like organisms exist. The fishes are:
      • Osteichthyes - bony fishes (ray-finned and fleshy-finned fishes)
      • Chondricthyes - cartilaginous fishes (sharks, skates, dogfish, and rays)
      • Agnatha - jawless fishes (lampreys and hagfish)
    • In our example, we would group humans in Class Mammalia because we exhibit the characteristics listed above.
  4. Classify Animals Step 5.jpg
    4
    Assign your animal an order. After the class ranking comes an animal's order. Orders are used to group animals into easily-managed groups that are more specific than the inclusive blanket terms of phylum and class but less specific than genus, species, and so on. For example, the two orders within Class Reptilia are:[3]
    • Testudines - turtles, tortoises, etc.
    • Squamata - snakes and lizards
    • In our example, we would classify humans in Order Primates with monkeys, apes, and our extinct proto-human predecessors.
  5. Classify Animals Step 6.jpg
    5
    Assign your animal a family. After the order grouping, an animal's taxonomic classification begins to become fairly specific. For instance, a specific variety of animal's common name may be derived from the Latin root of its its family name - geckos (members of Family Gekkonidae) are named this way. A other few examples of families within Order Squamata are:
    • Chamaeleonidae - chameleons
    • Iguanidae - iguanas
    • Scincidae - skinks
    • In our example, we would classify humans in Family Hominidae with the great apes and early proto-humans.
  6. Classify Animals Step 7.jpg
    6
    Assign your animal a genus. An animal's genus (plural: genera) is used to differentiate it from other types of animals which may be superficially similar or even share the same common name. For instance, the members of Family Gekkonidae are all geckos, but members of Genus Dixonius (leaf-toed geckos) are different from Genus Lepidodactylus (scaly-toed geckos), and so on for all 51 genera in Family Gekkonidae.
    • In our example, we would classify humans in Genus Homo, which includes modern humans and the types of early human ancestors that are familiar from popular culture - neanderthals, cro-magnons, and so on.
  7. Classify Animals Step 8.jpg
    7
    Assign your animal a species. An animal's species is usually the most specific taxonomic rank it can have. Species are often defined as the largest group of organisms capable of mating and producing offspring. In other words, only animals that are in the same species can mate with each other and produce viable offspring. Animals that aren't in the same species can sometimes produce offspring, but these offspring are almost always sterile and cannot produce offspring of their own (one common example is the mule, which is sterile and is produced by breeding a horse and a donkey). Note that organisms within the same species can have superficial morphological differences in spite of their close relatedness.
    • In our example, we would finally classify humans in Species sapiens. This category excludes all other forms of life except for humans. Note that modern humans of Genus Homo and Species sapiens can have a wide variety of morphological differences - different size, facial appearance, skin color, hair color, and so on. Still, any male-female pair of healthy humans can produce viable offspring, so all people are humans.
  8. Classify Animals Step 9.jpg
    8
    In select cases, assign your animal a subspecies. As a general rule, an animal's species is the most specific classification it can receive. However, there are many exceptions to this rule in which scientists further classify a species of animals into two or more subspecies. A given species will always have two or more subspecies or none at all - never just one. A common situation in which subspecies classifications are assigned is if, within a species, certain groups of organisms are capable of producing viable offspring but do not do so in nature do to geographical separation, behavior patterns, or other reasons. The full scientific name is the Genus-species combination, always in italics and with the Genus capitalized.
    • In our example, if we want to refer to anatomically modern humans (i.e., the type of humans that inhabit the world today), we can use the subspecies sapiens to further differentiate ourselves from Homo sapiens idaltu, another type of proto-human in the Homo sapiens species.
  9. Classify Animals Step 10.jpg
    9
    Use the mnemonic "King Phillip Came Over For Gimlets Saturday" to remember the taxonomic ranks. A variety of mnemonics, including this one, are useful for remembering the seven main taxonomic ranks - kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species - and their order. The first letter of each word in the mnemonic corresponds to the first letter of each taxonomic rank in order. In other words, "King" corresponds with "kingdom", "Phillip" corresponds with "phylum", and so on.

EditMethod 3 of 3: Classifying an Animal from its Scientific Name

  1. Classify Animals Step 11.jpg
    1
    Start with an animal's scientific name. The final two taxonomic ranks, genus and species, which are are the most specific of all the ranks, are used for an animal's scientific name. In other words, an animal's official name by which it is recognized by scientists worldwide is its Genus (capitalized) followed by its species (not capitalized). For example, the scientific name of modern humans is Homo sapiens because they belong to Genus Homo and Species sapiens. Note that an animal's scientific name is italicized.
    • Because an animal's genus and species are its most specific taxonomic classifications, often, this will be sufficient classification information for most purposes.
  2. Classify Animals Step 12.jpg
    2
    Use the animal's scientific name as a starting point for research. Because an animal's scientific name is its genus and species, if you know an animal's scientific name, you usually have enough information to find the rest of its taxonomic ranks by using these two as a starting point. You can do his simply by looking up the animal's scientific name in a biological resource or encyclopedia.
  3. Classify Animals Step 13.jpg
    3
    Alternatively, work backwards through inference. Once you know an animal's scientific name, it's also possible to determine an animal's taxonomic classifications through inference, using your animal's morphology, evolutionary history, and genetic relationships to other animals to choose its family, order, and so on. Use information you know about the species to aid your search. If possible, double-check your inferences in a suitable biological resource or textbook.
    • For instance, in our Homo sapiens example, if we know that humans share a recent evolutionary ancestor with great apes, we can place them in Family Hominidae with the rest of the great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans). Since great apes are primates, we can place Homo sapiens in Order Primates as well. From here, class and phylum are easy. Obviously, all primates are mammals, so we can say that humans are in Class Mammalia, and all mammals have backbones, so we can say that humans are in Phylum Chordata.
    • As mentioned at the beginning of the article, all animals will be in Kingdom Animalia regardless of their other taxonomic classifications.
    Ad

We could really use your help!

Can you tell us about
Vans shoes?
Yes I can
Vans shoes
how to wear Vans with style
Can you tell us about
improving self-esteem?
Yes I can
improving self-esteem
how to stop hating yourself
Can you tell us about
viral videos?
Yes I can
viral videos
how to make and market a viral video
Can you tell us about
cleaning clothes?
Yes I can
cleaning clothes
how to remove mildew from fabric
Thanks for helping! Please tell us everything you know about
...
Tell us everything you know here. Remember, more detail is better.
Tips
Provide Details.
Please be as detailed as possible in your explanation. Don't worry about formatting! We'll take care of it. For example:
Don't say: Eat more fats.
Do say: Add fats with some nutritional value to the foods you already eat. Try olive oil, butter, avocado, and mayonnaise.
Submit

EditSources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Animalia/
  2. ↑ http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Animalia/
  3. ↑ http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/bio/reptile/main/reptilia.htm

Article Info

Categories: Pets and Animals

Recent edits by: Andrea M Thompson, Serendipitee, Colecrane

In other languages:

Español: Cómo clasificar animales, Português: Como Classificar Animais, Français: Comment classifier les animaux

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 11,124 times.

Did this article help you?
Yes No

Become
an Author!

Write an Article