Taxonomy ‘taxis’ ‘nomos’ arrangement law

➢ To estimate genetic & phylogenetic relationships among organisms To contribute towards the understanding of evolutionary process To integrate data from all fields of biology and to detect and summarize significant patterns To document & preserve specimens to provide a useful reservoir of data To help in clarifying the place of taxonomy or systematics in general biology by revising their aims and priorities
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WHAT TAXONOMIST DO ?
• Obtain specimens by collection, exchange, purchase, going
to museum or all
• Obtain literature research papers/articles obtained on
request or exchange from authors or books from
libraries/stores etc.
• Study specimens detailed study of all characters
• Study of literature knowledge of previous published work
• Identify specimens may be known or new species
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• Publish conclusions in form of keys, new descriptions etc.
• Propose new names for new things only
• Classify species into genera, tribes, subfamily, family,
order, class, phylum
• Maintain collection permanent collection has to be
maintained/preserved properly
• Study new methods new techniques/ways to assist in
classifying species
• Study nomenclature study rules for the work i.e. follow set
of rules of zoological nomenclature
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Why should we care about correctly identifying species Here's an excellent overview of the importance of phylogenetic systematics from the University of California at Berkeley Museum of Paleontology. Understanding classification at the alpha, beta and gamma levels can save you and the ecosystems around you.
The Evil Weevil
• In the s, Hawaiian forest preserves' fern populations were severely threatened by the invasion of an exotic fern weevil
(Syagrius fulvitarsis).
• No one knew where it came from, but it was prolific and difficult to control without massive amounts of pesticides (harmful to rare birds and other endemic wildlife In 1921, systematist Pemberton identified a single museum specimen of S. fulvitarsis - labeled with locality - as Australian The beetle's natural predators from Australia were then determined and (after careful study) were successfully used as biological control.
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