Standard 5.2 Describe species as reproductively distinct groups of organisms. Recognize that species are further classified into a hierarchical taxonomic system (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) based on morphological, behavioral, and molecular similarities. Describe the role that geographic isolation can play in speciation.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is a system to organize all the biodiversity on the planet. All organisms are put into a Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and species.
Each level of classification gets smaller and the organisms get more related.
DNA is the best way to see relationships. Who would have thought this hyrax below is a close living relative of the elephant.
Categories of Classification:
Human Taxonomy
Kingdom - Animal
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammal
Order - Primate
Family - Hominid
Genus - Homo
Species - sapiens (the species name is always written with a lower case letter)