Classification is the process of placing living things into
groups. It is used to:
Identify species- a clearly defined system of classification
makes identification easier & more accurate.
To make the study of living things more manageable
To predict characteristics & so help us to see relationships
between species
To find evolutionary links- species in the same group
probably share characteristics as they have evolved from a
common ancestor
Enable scientists to share information easily by use of a
single classification system
Taxonomy is the study of classification and there are 8
levels of groups (taxonomic groups) used in classification
, Classification system
A species is a group of individual organisms that are very similar in
appearance, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry & genetics, whose members
are able to interbreed freely & produce fertile offspring. Being so similar,
the members of a species occupy the same niche (place) in an ecosystem.
According to the taxonomic classification system, 2 species cannot produce
fertile offspring. Therefore the loganberry (fertile offspring of a
blackberry & raspberry) is hard to classify.