Questions and Answers
Who is known as the Father of Taxonomy?
What is Taxonomy?
The science of naming and organizing organisms into related groups.
A Binomial name consists of two parts: the genus name and the ______.
specific epithet
The genus name is always lowercase.
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What does the Rule of Priority state?
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What is required to officially give a new species a binomial name?
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What is a Holotype Specimen?
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What is Interspecific Variation?
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Define Intraspecific Variation.
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What is the Biological Species Concept?
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What is a population in biological terms?
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What do Lumpers do in paleontology?
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What defines Splitters in paleontology?
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Study Notes
Carl Linnaeus
- Swedish naturalist known as the Father of Taxonomy.
- Introduced a systematic approach for naming organisms.
Taxonomy
- The science of naming and classifying organisms into related groups.
- Each species is assigned a unique binomial name, which distinguishes it from others.
Binomial Name
- Composed of two italicized parts: Genus Name and Specific Epithet.
- No two species can share the same combination of these names.
Genus Name
- The first part of the binomial name, always capitalized.
- Italicized alongside the specific epithet; signifies closely related species.
Specific Epithet
- The second part of a binomial name, not capitalized.
- Italicized with the genus name; can be shared across diverse organisms.
Rule of Priority
- Once a species is given a binomial name, that name is fixed unless proven incorrect.
- A name can only be changed if the species is determined not to be new.
Official Name Assignment
- Requires publishing a species description in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
- Must include a holotype specimen for reference.
Peer-reviewed
- Refers to publications that have been vetted by other scientists ensuring validity and scientific soundness.
Holotype Specimen
- A physical example representing the new species kept in research institutions.
- Can be incomplete; must demonstrate characteristics distinguishing it as a unique species.
Hesperonychus elizabethae
- A small North American dinosaur with unique pelvic features.
- Exhibits tightly fused bones indicating it was an adult; differences in pelvis are not sex-related.
Interspecific Variation
- Morphological differences among organisms of different species.
Intraspecific Variation
- Morphological differences among individuals within the same species.
Sources of Intraspecific Variation
- Sexual Dimorphism: Differences based on sex, e.g., male vs. female deer.
- Ontogenetic Variation: Differences due to age, e.g., young vs. old deer.
- Individual Variation: Variations among individuals unrelated to species, e.g., appearance differences in deer.
- Taphonomic Variation: Changes not due to biology, e.g., differences caused by fossilization conditions.
Biological Species Concept
- Defines a species based on the ability to interbreed successfully.
- Not applicable to asexual organisms or extinct species due to lack of reproductive evidence.
Population
- A group of organisms of the same species living in the same geographic area.
- Populations can be isolated by geographical barriers.
Morphological Species Concept
- Used by paleontologists to categorize species based on physical similarities.
- Acknowledges challenges such as sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic changes complicating classification.
Lumpers
- Paleontologists who require significant differences to classify organisms as separate species.
Splitters
- Paleontologists who recognize lesser differences as sufficient to classify organisms as distinct species.
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Description
Explore the foundational concepts of taxonomy and the contributions of Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy. This quiz will help reinforce your understanding of scientific naming and the structure of binomial names.
