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History of Taxonomy

The document outlines the history of biological classification, emphasizing the contributions of early biologists such as Aristotle, Charaka, John Ray, and Carolus Linnaeus, who is known as the 'Father of Taxonomy.' It discusses various classification systems and the importance of organizing living organisms into comprehensible groups. The document concludes by suggesting that future discoveries may lead to the identification of additional kingdoms in classification.

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25 views21 pages

History of Taxonomy

The document outlines the history of biological classification, emphasizing the contributions of early biologists such as Aristotle, Charaka, John Ray, and Carolus Linnaeus, who is known as the 'Father of Taxonomy.' It discusses various classification systems and the importance of organizing living organisms into comprehensible groups. The document concludes by suggesting that future discoveries may lead to the identification of additional kingdoms in classification.

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somethingf81
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History of classification

•
CLASSIFICATION
What is does the word classify mean?

Classify - to group things according to


similar/different features
(structures) that they share

“Science” of classification is called taxonomy

3
INTRODUCTION
• Classification:Method of arranging and grouping
of organisms in various divisions.
Biologist from early times have made
simple attempts to classify the organisms.Some
of the biologists before Carolus Linnaeus are as
follows.
*Aristotle(384-322 BC)
*Charaka(1st century AD)
*John Ray(1628-1705)
*Carolus Linnaeus(1707-1778)
*ARISTOTLE
Aristotle , a Greek
philosopher and biologist of 4th
century BC(384-322 BC).Some of
his contributions are:
- Classified a few hundred
different kinds of animals and
plants.
- Classified plants as herbs ,
shrubs or trees.
- Grouped animals according to
where they lived i.e in water,
land or air.
*CHARAKA
Charaka, known as
father of Ayurveda(1st
century AD).
CONTRIBUTIONS:
- Listed the names of more
than 200 kinds of animals
and 340 kinds of plants in
this books”Charaka
Samhita” on Indian
medicine.
• Italian physician Andrea Cesalpino
• (1519–1603) called "the first
taxonomist".
• His magnum opus De Plantis came
out in 1583, and described more than
1500 plant species.
• Two large plant families that he first
recognized are still in use today: the
Asteraceae and Brassicaceae.
*JOHN RAY
• John Ray,an English naturalist of
late 17th century AD(1628-
1705).
CONTRIBUTIONS:
- Introduced the term species for
one kind of living organisms
forming natural groups.
- Developed a key system to
classify species especially the
plant species of his native England.
• 17th century John Ray (England, 1627–1705)
wrote many important taxonomic works
• Arguably his greatest accomplishment was
Methodus Plantarum Nova (1682),
• he published details of over 18,000 plant
species. At the time, his classifications were
perhaps the most complex yet produced by any
taxonomist, as he based his taxa on many
combined characters.
• Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
• (France, 1656–1708).
• His work from 1700, Institutiones Rei
Herbariae, included more than 9000
species in 698 genera,
• influenced Linnaeus, as it was the text
he used as a young student.
*CAROLUS LINNAEUS
Carolus Linnaeus (1708-1778),
Swedish naturalist of 18th Century AD
known as “Father of Taxonomy”.

CONTRIBUTIONS:
- Classified about 5,900 species of plants
in the book “Species Plantarum (1753)”.
- Classified about 4,200 species of
animals in his book “Systema
Naturae(1758)”.
- Gave a scientific system of using two
words to name a species i.e Binomial
System of Nomenclature.
TYPES OF CLASSIFICATION AND
IMPORTANCE
Classification is like arranging book titles
in library or words in dictionary.
- Biological classification aims at sorting living
organisms into small comprehensible groups.
- It makes comparisons between the groups of
organisms easier.
- It recognises the species as the basic
taxonomic unit.
Three main systems of classification

• Morpho-taxonomy.
• Molecular Taxonomy.
• Phylogenetic system.
• Chemo-taxonomy
• Karyo taxonomy
Discussion
Many scientists tried to give a framework of
classification.so classification before Carolus
Linnaeus like Aristotle, Charaka and John Ray
through their handwork make a historical stone
and after Carolus Linnaeus like
Earnst Haeckel(1884), added third kingdom protista,
Robert Whittaker(1969) added four kingdom
monera for bacteria and 5th kingdom fungi.
Carl Woese(1990)divided kingdom monera into two
groups i.e kingdom archae and kingdom bacteria.
Conclusion
So who knows !!! As the world develop day by
day, and different varieties of organisms are
still hidden. So one day 7th,8th or 9th kingdom
classification may be discovered.

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