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Questions and Answers
Who is often referred to as the 'grandfather of botany' for his classification of plants?
Who is often referred to as the 'grandfather of botany' for his classification of plants?
What was the basis for Dioscorides' classification of plants in De Materia Medica?
What was the basis for Dioscorides' classification of plants in De Materia Medica?
Which ancient author provided one of the earliest taxonomic classifications based on plant physiology?
Which ancient author provided one of the earliest taxonomic classifications based on plant physiology?
What did Plinius contribute to the field of botanical science?
What did Plinius contribute to the field of botanical science?
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What division did Aristotle create between animals based on blood?
What division did Aristotle create between animals based on blood?
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What is the main objective of the nomenclatural and taxonomic system for botany introduced by Linnaeus?
What is the main objective of the nomenclatural and taxonomic system for botany introduced by Linnaeus?
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How have post-Darwinian botanists generally interpreted the systematic patterns recognized by Linnaeus?
How have post-Darwinian botanists generally interpreted the systematic patterns recognized by Linnaeus?
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Which ancillary science was NOT mentioned as contributing to the refinement of taxonomic studies?
Which ancillary science was NOT mentioned as contributing to the refinement of taxonomic studies?
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Which of the following ranks comes immediately after Phylum in the biological classification hierarchy?
Which of the following ranks comes immediately after Phylum in the biological classification hierarchy?
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Which organism is incorrectly matched with its taxonomic classification?
Which organism is incorrectly matched with its taxonomic classification?
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Study Notes
Biosystematics and Taxonomy
- Biosystematics is the study and classification of living things.
- Taxonomy is the science of classifying organisms.
- Systematics is the study and classification of living things.
- Biosystematics is the taxonomy of living populations.
- The word 'taxonomy' is derived from the Latinized Greek word 'systema' applied to the system of classification by Carolus Linnaeus in the 4th edition of his book Systema Naturae in 1735.
Kinds of Systematics
- Systematics is divided into taxonomic (Linnaean System) and phylogenetic classifications.
- Taxonomic classifications group living things together based on shared traits (e.g., animals that lay eggs and have scales are reptiles).
- Phylogenetic classifications group organisms by evolutionary relatedness (e.g., gorillas are more closely related to humans than cockroaches).
- Taxonomy is the theory and practice of identifying plants and animals.
History of Classification
- Aristotle (384-322 BC) was the first to classify living things into vertebrates and invertebrates.
- Theophrastus (370–285 BC) created a classification of known plants (De Historia Plantarum).
- Dioscorides (40–90 AD) wrote De Materia Medica, a classification of medicinal plants.
- Plinius (23–79 AD) wrote Naturalis Historia, a comprehensive work describing many plants and giving them Latin names.
- Caesalpino (1519–1603): developed a plant classification.
- Bauhin brothers (1541-1631 and 1560-1624) created Pinax Theatri Botanici listing 6000 species.
- John Ray (1627-1705): presented species as the fundamental unit of classification and gave a biological definition for species.
- Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708): further developed plant classification based on floral characteristics.
- Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778): established binomial nomenclature and a global classification for both flora and fauna.
Trends in biosystematics
- Chemotaxonomy uses chemical constituents (e.g., alkaloids, terpenoids, pigments) to classify plants.
- Cytotaxonomy classifies organisms based on the structure, number and behaviour of chromosomes.
- Molecular taxonomy uses DNA and protein sequences to establish genetic relationships between different taxonomic categories.
Dimensions of speciation
- Speciation is the evolutionary process by which biological populations evolve to become distinct species.
- Four geographic modes of speciation exist: allopatric, peripatric, parapatric, and sympatric.
Species concepts
- Biological Species Concept (BSC): Species are groups of actually or potentially interbreeding populations in nature, which are reproductively isolated from each other.
- Typological species concept: species are defined based on a set of constant diagnostic characters.
- Phylogenetic species concept: A species is a lineage of populations between two phylogenetic branch points (between speciation and extinction events).
Taxonomic Procedures
- Taxonomic collections are essentially preserved plant or animal specimens, with documentation.
- Dry collections preserve specimens by drying them. It's frequently used for specimens with sufficient rigidity to withstand handling, and to maintain colour and visual features.
- Wet collections use liquids to preserve specimens, usually to preserve specimens that would change if dried, or if colours and forms need to be preserved precisely as they are.
Taxonomic Keys
- Keys are a tool for the identification of unknown species.
- A key consists of contrasting statements to identify species.
- Dichotomous keys are frequent and useful, offering only two choices.
- Polyclave keys are interactive computer programs with multiple access points, making identification efficient and comprehensive.
Evaluation of Biodiversity Indices
- Shannon Diversity Index increases as richness and evenness of the community increase.
- Dominance Index considers the relative importance of species in a habitat.
- Species similarity indices quantifies the compositional similarity or dissimilarity between samples.
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Description
Explore the foundational concepts of biosystematics and taxonomy, the disciplines that focus on the classification and study of living organisms. Learn about the different types of systematics and the historical context behind classification methods introduced by pioneers like Aristotle and Linnaeus.
