5 Questions
What is the rank that class holds in biological classification?
Between phylum and order
Who first introduced the class as a distinct rank of biological classification?
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
How did Carl Linnaeus divide his kingdoms of Nature in the first edition of his Systema Naturae?
Into classes
How is the composition of each class ultimately determined?
By the subjective judgment of taxonomists
What does a class in biological classification embrace according to historical conception?
'Level of complexity' and a particular layout of organ systems
Study Notes
Biological Classification
- In biological classification, the class is a rank that falls between the phylum and order ranks.
- The class rank was first introduced by French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in the early 18th century.
Systema Naturae by Carl Linnaeus
- In the first edition of his Systema Naturae, Carl Linnaeus divided his kingdoms of Nature into three: Animalia, Vegetabilia, and Mineralia.
Composition of a Class
- The composition of each class is ultimately determined by the characteristics shared by the organisms it contains.
Historical Conception of a Class
- According to the historical conception, a class in biological classification embraces a group of related orders that exhibit similar characteristics and share a common ancestral origin.
Test your knowledge of the class rank in biological classification, its significance, and its position in the hierarchy of taxonomic ranks. Learn about the history and distinctive features of class as a taxonomic unit.
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