Biology, Eighth Edition (Raven)

Chapter 23: Systematics and the Phylogenetic Revolution

Learning Outcomes

• Describe the science of taxonomy and its importance to classification.
• Understand the necessity for and the technicalities of the binomial nomenclature system.
• Describe taxonomic hierarchy, the three domain system and the six-kingdom classification system.
• Be able to describe the biological species concept.
• Understand the differences between traditional classification; systematics and phylogenies; cladistics and cladograms.
• Explain the general evolution of the two prokaryotic kingdoms (archaebacteria and bacteria) as well as the four eukaryotic kingdoms (protista, fungi, plantae, and animalia).
• Describe the endosymbiotic theory and origin of eukaryotic mitochondria and chloroplast organelles.
• Understand the importance of compartmentalization, multicellularity and sexuality in the scheme of eukaryotic specialization.
• Explain the general characteristics of viruses and show why they are not classified into any of the established domains and/or kingdoms.
• Understand the present day hierarchical scheme is subjective and subject to changes with ongoing evidence.