Scientific Naming

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Scientific Naming
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History of Ecology and Natural History

• Classification of living organisms
• - Aristotle 384-322 B.C. scala naturae
• Linnean classification
• binomial nomenclature (two-name name caller)
• Carolus Linnaeus 1707-1778
• Natural Relationships
• Morphologically similar Reflection of Gods
• Plan of Creation
• 1758 systema naturae

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Need for a change
Solanum caule inermi herbaceo, foliis pinnatis
integerrimus' This is what Linnaeus called the
species. Freely translated into English, he
called this species "The Solanum with a weak,
herbaceous stem and pinnately compound leaves
with entire margins".  Even he considered this
quite a mouthful, so he added a single word
reference to it in the margin.
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Kingdom, phylum, class, order,
family, (-idea added to the
genus) genus, species
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The genus is the generic name from the Latin
genus-origin, birth group of closely related
animals (or plants) The species is the
specific name from Latin species-appearance,
type it is individual and separate for each type
of creature, either an adjective modifying the
genus, or the genitive of a persons name
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Scientific names- Genus and species

• Where does the name come from?
• Should describe the species
• Should provide useful information
• about the species (descriptive, location,
  behavior, who discovered)
• Should not be vulgar!!
• The Format
• Should be Latinized
• Always underlined or italicized
• Genus name capitalized
• Species name never capitalized

Micro di pod ops megacephalus Small two foot
looking big head
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Dasypus novemcinctus cingo, cinctus-to gird as if
for battle, put on your sword belt
The nine-banded armadillo (with hairy/rough feet)
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Procyon lotor Pro-before, kuon-Gk. Dog (ancestor
of dogs), lotor-a washer (washes its food)
North American racoon
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Ursus arctos horribilus
The Grizzly Bear -is a sub-species of the Brown
Bear (Ursos arctos) which is why it has 3
names Ursus- L. bear Arktos- Gk. Bear (and yes,
the word Arctic comes from the word for bear)
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B. System of binomial nomenclature
Humans

• Kingdom Animalia Animalia
• Phylum Chordata Chordata
• Class Mammalia Mammalia
• Order Primates Carnivora
• Family Homonoidae Canidae
• Genus Homo Canis
• Species sapiens latrans (tricky)

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What is a Felis nigripes?
Felis- nigri pes
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What is a Felis nigripes?
One of the worlds smallest wild cats. Found in
southern Africa.
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Descriptive
Location
Mule deer Odocoileus hemionus odous-tooth,
koilos-hollow hemionos-half-ass, mule (has big
ears like a mule)
White-tailed deer O. virginianus Virginian
hollow-tooth
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Named after a person
Brow-antlered Deer Cervus eldi cervus- L. deer,
Genitive Eld deer of Percy Eld (Elds deer)
Schomburgks deer Cervus schomburgki deer of
Robert Schomburgk
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Elaphurus davidianus named after Pere Armand
David (his name is made into an adjective)
elaphos-Gk deer
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Martes americana American marten or pine marten
Martes flavigula yellow-throated marten martes-
marten (prob. from the god Mars) flavus-? gula-gul
let or throat
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Match the name to the fish
Hyphessobrycon peruvianus
Rosy tetra
Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis
Hyphessobrycon flammeus
lemon tetra
Hyphessobrycon rosaceus
Red tetra
Loreto tetra from Peru
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Match the name to the fish
mylossoma millstone shaped
Normans Headstander
Aphyocharax rubripinnis
Abramites microcephalus
Mylossoma aureum
Bloodfin
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Match the name to the fish
Jordanella floridae
Malapterurus electricus
Epalzeorhynchus bicolor
Electric catfish
Red-tailed shark
Flagfish from Florida
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Match the name to the fish
Betta splendens Betta pugnax Betta fusca