carl linnaeus father of classification and taxonomy (1707-1778)

CARL LINNAEUS

Father of Classification and Taxonomy

(1707-1778)

Carl Linnaeus – Background

Born on May 23, 1707, in Sweden.

Carl Linnaeus – Background

Born on May 23, 1707, in Sweden.

His father was a gardener and a pastor.

Carl Linnaeus – Background

Born on May 23, 1707, in Sweden.

His father was a gardener and a pastor.

His father taught him Latin, religion, and geography until he was seven years old.

Carl Linnaeus – Finding his Mission

Carl showed a deep love of plants and a fascination with their names from a very early age.

Carl Linnaeus – Finding his Mission

He attended college to study to become a doctor.

He attended college to study to become a doctor.

Learning about plants was part of learning to be a doctor.

Carl Linnaeus – Finding his Mission

He attended college to study to become a doctor.

Learning about plants was part of learning to be a doctor.

He liked studying plants more than studying medicine.

Carl Linnaeus – Finding his Mission

The Beginnings of an Organized Classification of Living Things

From 1740 -1770, Carl was sent on several journeys throughout Sweden and northern Europe to find and classify plants and animals.

Questions for you….

Can you find Europe on this world map?

What was happening in other parts of the world in the late 1700’s?

The Beginnings of an Organized Classification of Living Things

As he collected and classified animals, plants and minerals, Carl made careful records. He published several books to share his learning.

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories:

Classification of Animals

After doing a great deal of observation and recording, Carl Linnaeus sorted his findings and created a way to organize plants and a way to organize animals for others to study and to discuss them.

Classification of Animals

After doing a great deal of observation and recording, Carl Linnaeus sorted his findings and created a way to organize plants and a way to organize animals for others to study and to discuss them.

What follows are his original ideas on classifying animals.

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories:

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals)

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds)

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds) Classis 3. AMPHIBIA

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds) Classis 3. AMPHIBIA (Amphibians)

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds) Classis 3. AMPHIBIA (Amphibians) Classis 4. PISCES

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds) Classis 3. AMPHIBIA (Amphibians) Classis 4. PISCES (Fish)

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds) Classis 3. AMPHIBIA (Amphibians) Classis 4. PISCES (Fish) Classis 5. INSECTA

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds) Classis 3. AMPHIBIA (Amphibians) Classis 4. PISCES (Fish) Classis 5. INSECTA (Insects)

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds) Classis 3. AMPHIBIA (Amphibians) Classis 4. PISCES (Fish) Classis 5. INSECTA (Insects) Classis 6. VERMES

Original Taxonomy of Animals

6 Categories: Classis 1. MAMMALIA (Mammals) Classis 2. AVES (Birds) Classis 3. AMPHIBIA (Amphibians) Classis 4. PISCES (Fish) Classis 5. INSECTA (Insects) Classis 6. VERMES (Miscellaneous)

Carl then took the general categories of animals and broke them down into even smaller categories like this:

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom Phylum

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom Phylum

Class

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom Phylum

ClassOrder

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom Phylum

ClassOrder

Family

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom Phylum

ClassOrder

Family Genus

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom Phylum

ClassOrder

Family Genus

Species

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom Phylum

ClassOrder

Family Genus

Species(Here’s a way to remember the

order: Keep Pond Clean Or Frogs Get Sick)

Taxonomy of Animals

Now let’s look at how this taxonomy (organized arrangement) works with one animal you probably know. See if you can figure out the animal before you get to the “species” level which tells you the common name of the animal.

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom – Animal Phylum

ClassOrder

Family Genus

Species

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom – Animal, Plant, Mineral Phylum - Vertebrate (Chordata)

ClassOrder

Family Genus

Species

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom – Animal, Plant, Mineral Phylum - Vertebrate (Chordata)

Class - MammaliaOrder

Family Genus

Species

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom – Animal, Plant, Mineral Phylum - Vertebrate (Chordata)

Class - MammaliaOrder - Carnivora

Family Genus

Species

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom – Animal, Plant, Mineral Phylum - Vertebrate (Chordata)

Class - MammaliaOrder - Carnivora

Family - Canidae Genus

Species

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom – Animal, Plant, Mineral Phylum - Vertebrate (Chordata)

Class - MammaliaOrder - Carnivora

Family - Canidae Genus - Canis

Species

Taxonomy of Animals

Kingdom – Animal, Plant, Mineral Phylum - Vertebrate (Chordata)

Class - MammaliaOrder - Carnivora

Family - Canidae Genus - Canis

Species - C. lupus (wolves and dogs)

Taxonomy of Animals

Did you figure out that the animal was a dog?

During the record portion of your lesson you will choose an animal and research to find out its full taxonomy and official name.

Taxonomy of Animals

The official name for a wolf or dog is

C. lupus.

Many people were greatly influenced by the work of Carl Linnaeus. Here are some of their comments:

Comments from other great minds:

“Tell him I know no greater man on earth.”

~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Comments from other great minds:

"With the exception of Shakespeare and Spinoza, I know no one among the no longer living who has influenced me more strongly.“

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Carl Linnaeus was known by others, and he also was a man who knew God.

“The Earth's creation is the glory of God, as seen from the works of Nature by Man alone. The study of nature would reveal the Divine Order of God's creation, and it was the naturalist's task to construct a ‘natural classification’ that would reveal this Order in the universe.”

~ Carl Linneaus

What Carl Linneaus Left Behind

In 1783 Carl died and Sara, his wife, inherited his life’s collections which included:

What Carl Linneaus Left Behind

In 1783 Carl died and Sara, his wife, inherited his life’s collections which included:

14,000 plants, 3,198 insects, 1,564 shells, about 3,000

letters, and 1,600 books. And a great deal

of new knowledge about plants and animals.

Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)

His system for naming, ranking, and classifying organisms is still in wide use today, with a few changes. His ideas on classification have influenced generations of biologists during and after his own lifetime.