Carolus Linnaeus; Around 1753, organized organisms Carolus Linnaeus; Around 1753, organized organisms into two major categories, or kingdoms. They were either classified as a plant, or an animal, so were in the kingdom Plantae or Animalia. Ernst Haeckel; In 1866 proposed a new kingdom, Protista, for single celled organisms. Herbert Copeland; In 1938 suggested that all prokaryotes should get their own kingdom, because they were so different from eukaryotes. He proposed the kingdom Monera for all prokaryotes.

This was because fungi are heterotrophic, and plants are autotrophs. Robert Whittaker; In 1959 proposed that fungi should be removed from the kingdom Plantae and put into its own kingdom; Fungi. This was because fungi are heterotrophic, and plants are autotrophs. Carl Woese; In 1977 stated that the kingdom Monera should be divided into two categories, based on major genetic and structural differences in some members of the kingdom. Woese – an American Kingdom Monera was divided into kingdom Bacteria and kingdom Archaea

Taxonomic Hierarchy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

Today we recognize three domains; Shortly after the acceptance of Woese’ new kingdoms, he suggested a new category in the taxonomic hierarchy. Woese suggested bacteria and archaea were so different from one another, and from all other organisms, they should each be classified differently. He proposed placing the kindoms under catagories that he called domains. Domains established in 1990 - separated into archaea and bacteria based on tRNA differences Today we recognize three domains;

Domain Bacteria; Prokaryotes only. Domain Archaea; Prokaryotes only. Domain Eukarya; All Eukaryotes Usually subdivided into 4 Kingdoms

Taxonomic Hierarchy Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

Kingdom; subdivision of the Domain Kingdom Animalia; Includes all animals Worms, sponges, coral, dogs, eagles, lizards, humans Phylum; subgroup of the Kingdom Chordata; includes all animals with a notochord (spinal cord in most) dogs, eagles, lizards, humans, cats

Class; subgroup of the phylum Mammalia; includes all mammals. Bats, whales, kangaroos, dogs, lemurs, platypus, walrus, humans, mice, raccoons, zebras, goats, pigs, cats….. Order; subgroup of the class. Carnivora; seals, bears, cats, canines, skunks, mongoose

Family; subgroup of order Felidae: includes all cats; large, medium and small. Lions, cougars, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, lynx

Genus; subgroup of the family Lynx; includes the lynx, bobcat

Species; very specific organism Canadian lynx; Lynx canadensis Bobcat; Lynx rufus