taxonomy

Term: taxonomy

Carl Linnaeus (1707 –1778)

Origin: Anc Greek

τάξις(=arrangement, order)

νόμος/nomos(=division) > νέμω/nemo(=distribute, divide)

Coined:The first attempt for describing and naming organisms is began by ancient philosopher Aristotle (384-322BC) who tried to classify animal species in his work  : The History of Animals. In parallel his pupill  Theophrastus (c.371-c.287 BC) wrote about plant classification (Historia Plantarum). During the 1700s  Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist Carl Linnaeus (1707 –1778)  simplified the classification system of living organisms by imparting a two-part naming system, called binomial nomenclature, to make identification easier. American plant ecologist Robert Harding Whittaker (1920–1980) in 1969 proposed 5 kingdoms: Plantae, Animalia, Fungi, Protista and Monera. Prof Thomas  Cavalier-Smith (1942-  ) proposed a new Kingdom of Chromista  in the system of  6 kingdoms: Plantae (eukaryotic characterised by cell wall) , Animalia (eukaryotic characterised by cells without cell wall), Fungi (eukaryotic characterised by cells without cell wall), Chromista (eukaryotic algae), Protozoa (unicellular eukaryotic) and Bacteria (procaryotic).

Definition:

Taxonomy is the naming of organisms in an ordered system according to their established natural relationship. Taxonomy uses taxonomic units, known as taxa (singular taxon).