Classification, Dichotomous Keys and the Six Kingdoms

Name ____________________________________________ Period ____ Date _______________
Classification, Dichotomous Keys and the Six Kingdoms
1. Copy the list of the eight levels of classification for living organisms from the left board
(starting with “domain” and ending with “species”) and the corresponding mnemonic memory
phrase (“Dear King Phillip . . . “) into the spaces below. (Note that the uppermost “domain”
level of classification is new, and not found in older textbooks, such as the one you will be
reading to answer the rest of the questions with.)
Mnemonic Word Classification Level
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2. What is classification? (p.202) __________________________________________________
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3. Why do scientists classify living organisms? What questions are they trying to answer with
classification? (p.202) _________________________________________________________
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4. What is the full classification of the house cat, starting with the kingdom and ending with the
species? (Not stated in the book is the domain: eukarya.) (p.203)
Kingdom: ____________________; Phylum: __________________;
Class: ____________________; Order: __________________; Family: __________________;
Genus: _______________________; Species: ___________________________.
5. Who invented the modern method of classification? (p.204) ____________________________
6. What is the name of the science branch that classifies living things? (p.204) _______________
7. How do scientists decide which organisms to class together in a common class, order or
family? (p.204) _______________________________________________________________
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8. What are branching diagrams used to show? (p.204) __________________________________
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9. What is a scientific name? What are the two parts of the scientific name? (p.205) __________
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10. How are scientific names always capitalized and written? (p.205) _______________________
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11. What is the scientific name of the dinosaur shown on p.205 (written with the proper
capitalization and underlining)? __________________________________________________
12. Why is it important for scientists to use scientific names? (p.206) _______________________
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13. What is a dichotomous key? (pp.206-07) __________________________________________
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14. Using the dichotomous key on p.207, identify the animal with the following traits: does not fly,
has long, round (not flattened), naked (no fur) tail? ___________________________________
15. Using the dichotomous key on p.207, identify the animal with the following traits: does not fly,
has short, cottony, fur covered tail, long ears, not brown with white underbelly, has no black
face mask, and does not have black fur with white stripes? _____________________________
16. Using the branching diagram at the bottom of p.207, answer the following questions:
a. Which plant is the closest relative of the hibiscus? ______________________________
b. Which plant is most distantly related to the hibiscus? ___________________________
c. Which plants have seeds? _________________________________________________
17. Into what kingdom is the micro-organism called Euglena classified? (p.208) ______________
What traits does Euglena share with animals? _______________________________________
What traits does Euglena share with plants? ________________________________________
Why then is Euglena not classified as a plant or animal? ______________________________
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18. What are bacteria? (p.209) ______________________________________________________
19. What are the two kingdoms of bacteria? (p.209) __________________ and _______________
20. Which kingdom of bacteria often contains extremophiles? (p.209) _______________________
21. What are the main identifying traits of protests? (p.210) _______________________________
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22. What are the main identifying traits of plants? (p.211) ________________________________
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23. What are the main identifying traits of fungi? (p.212) _________________________________
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24. What are the main identifying traits of animals? (p.213) _______________________________
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