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Systems of Biological Classification
1. Artificial System
2. Natural System
3. Phylogenetic System
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Systems of Biological
Classification
1. Artificial Classification Systems
Carl Linnaeus
• Earliest systems of classification.
• They were based on vegetative characters
or superficial morphological characters
such as habit, colour, number and shape
of leaves, etc.
• Linnaeus’s artificial system of
classification was based on the
androecium structure.
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Systems of Biological
Classification
1. Artificial Classification Systems
Carl Linnaeus
Drawbacks:
• They separated the closely related species
since they were based on a few
characteristics.
• Equal weightage to vegetative & sexual
characteristics. This is not acceptable
since the vegetative characters are more
easily affected by environment.
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Systems of Biological
Classification
2. Natural Classification Systems
• These are based on natural affinities
among organisms.
• It considers external features and
internal features (ultrastructure,
anatomy, embryology &
phytochemistry).
• E.g. Classification for flowering plants
given by George Bentham & Joseph
Dalton Hooker.
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Systems of Biological
Classification
3. Phylogenetic Classification Systems
• These are based on evolutionary
relationships among the organisms.
• This assumes that organisms in the
same taxa have a common ancestor.
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Systems of Biological Classification
Other sources to resolve the problems in
classification
• Numerical Taxonomy: It is based on
all
observable characteristics. It is carried
out using computers. Number & codes
are assigned to all the characters and the
data are processed. Thus hundreds of
characters can be equally considered.
• Cytotaxonomy: It is based on
cytological
information like chromosome number,
structure, behaviour etc.
• Chemotaxonomy: It uses the chemical
constituents of the plant.
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