Chapter 18    Classification

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Biologists use a classification system to group organisms in part because organisms

a. are going extinct. c. are too much alike.
b. are very numerous and diverse. d. share too many derived characters.

ANS: B DIF: B REF: p. 447 OBJ: 18.1.1

2. The study of organisms requires the use of

a. only large, general categories of organisms.
b. only small, specific categories of organisms.
c. both large and small categories of organisms.
d. no categories of organisms.

ANS: C DIF: B REF: p. 447 OBJ: 18.1.1

3. Scientists assign each kind of organism a universally accepted name in the system known as
a. traditional classification. c. binomial nomenclature.
b. the three domains. d. cladistics.

ANS: C DIF: A REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.1

4. For many species, there are often regional differences in their

a. common names. c. taxa.
b. scientific names. d. binomial nomenclature.

ANS: A DIF: A REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.1

5. In taxonomy, a group at any level of organization is referred to as a

a. cladogram. c. taxon.
b. binomial. d. system.

ANS: C DIF: E REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.1

6. Scientists have identified and named

a. all living species. c. all extinct species.
b. all living and extinct species. d. a fraction of all species.

ANS: D DIF: E REF: p. 447 OBJ: 18.1.1

7. In the scientific version of a species name, which of the terms is capitalized?

a. the first term only c. both the first and second terms
b. the second term only d. neither the first nor the second term

ANS: A DIF: B REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

8. Based on their names, you know that the baboons Papio annubis and Papio cynocephalus do NOT
belong to the same
a. class. c. genus.
 b. family. d. species.

ANS: D DIF: E REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

9. How do binomial, or two-part, names compare with early versions of scientific names?
a. They are longer. c. They are completely descriptive.
b. They are shorter. d. They are in English.

ANS: B DIF: E REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

10. The second part of a scientific name is unique to each

a. order in its class. c. genus in its family.
b. family in its order. d. species in its genus.

ANS: D DIF: A REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

11. Often, the second part of a scientific name is

a. a Latinized description of a particular trait.
b. the same as for other members of the same genus.
c. capitalized if it derives from a proper name.
d. different in different locations.

ANS: A DIF: E REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

12. Before Linnaeus, scientific names were problematic because they were
a. too brief to be descriptive. c. written only in Greek.
b. very long and difficult to standardize. d. written only in Latin.

ANS: B DIF: A REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

13. In Linnaeus’s system of classification, how many taxonomic categories were there?
a. one c. five
b. three d. seven

ANS: D DIF: B REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

14. A genus is composed of a number of related

a. kingdoms. c. orders.
b. phyla. d. species.

ANS: D DIF: B REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.3

15. Several different classes make up a

a. kingdom. c. family.
b. phylum. d. genus.

ANS: B DIF: A REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

16. Which two kingdoms did Linnaeus recognize?

a. bacteria and animals c. plants and animals
b. plants and fungi d. protists and animals

ANS: C DIF: A REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

17. Animals that are warm-blooded, have body hair, and produce milk for their young are grouped in the
class
a. Amphibia. c. Aves.
b. Mammalia. d. Reptilia.

ANS: B DIF: B REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

18. The most general and largest category in Linnaeus’s system is

a. the phylum. c. the genus.
b. the kingdom. d. the domain.

ANS: B DIF: E REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

19. Traditional classifications tended to take into account primarily

a. extinct organisms. c. DNA similarities.
b. RNA similarities. d. general similarities in appearance.

ANS: D DIF: A REF: p. 451 OBJ: 18.2.1

20. Sometimes, organisms that are not closely related look similar because of
a. convergent evolution. c. mutations.
b. molecular clocks. d. reclassification.

ANS: A DIF: E REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.2.1

21. The procedure of grouping organisms based on their evolutionary history is called
a. traditional classification. c. derived characters.
b. binomial nomenclature. d. evolutionary classification.

ANS: D DIF: B REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.2.1

22. In an evolutionary classification scheme, species within one genus should

a. be more similar to each other than they are to other species.
b. not be similar in appearance.
c. be limited to species that can interbreed.
d. have identical genes.

ANS: A DIF: A REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.2.2

23. What kind of analysis focuses on the order in which derived characters appeared in organisms?
a. cladistic analysis c. taxonomy
b. traditional classification d. anatomy

ANS: A DIF: E REF: p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

24. In biology, an evolutionary innovation is also referred to as a

a. derived character. c. molecular clock.
b. taxonomic group. d. physical similarity.

ANS: A DIF: E REF: p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

25. What do scientists consider when they perform a cladistic analysis?

 a. only the DNA of organisms c. derived characters
b. all traits of organisms d. only physical similarities

ANS: C DIF: B REF: p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

26. An analysis of derived characters is used to generate a

a. family tree based on external appearance.
b. family tree based on DNA structure.
c. cladogram.
d. traditional classification system.

ANS: C DIF: A REF: p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

27. What does a cladistic analysis show about organisms?

a. the relative importance of each derived character
b. the order in which derived characters evolved
c. the general fitness of the organisms analyzed
d. all traits of each organism analyzed

ANS: B DIF: E REF: p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

28. Similar genes are evidence of

a. binomial nomenclature. c. common ancestry.
b. mutations. d. different anatomy.

ANS: C DIF: B REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

29. What do all organisms have in common?

a. They use DNA and RNA to pass on information.
b. They are all prokaryotes.
c. They are all eukaryotes.
d. They are genetically identical.

ANS: A DIF: B REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

30. What is true about dissimilar organisms such as a cow and a yeast?
a. They are not related at all.
b. Their degree of relatedness cannot be evaluated.
c. Their degree of relatedness can be determined from their genes.
d. They can interbreed and thus are the same species.

ANS: C DIF: A REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

31. Scientists have found that humans and yeasts

a. have similar genes for the assembly of certain proteins.
b. share all aspects of cellular structure.
c. have nothing in common.
d. cannot be evaluated for degree of relatedness.

ANS: A DIF: A REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

32. What does the presence of similar genes in very dissimilar organisms imply?
a. The genes were produced by different selection pressures.
 b. The organisms share a common ancestor.
c. The organisms do not share a common ancestor.
d. The genes became identical through mutation.

ANS: B DIF: E REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

33. What is the main idea behind the model of a molecular clock?
a. that neutral mutations accumulate at a steady rate
b. that certain traits are under the pressure of natural selection
c. that segments of DNA can be compared with segments of RNA
d. that phenotypes, not genotypes, are affected by natural selection

ANS: A DIF: E REF: p. 455 OBJ: 18.2.3

34. All organisms in the kingdoms Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia are
a. multicellular organisms. c. eukaryotes.
b. photosynthetic organisms. d. prokaryotes.

ANS: C DIF: B REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.1

35. Which kingdom contains heterotrophs with cell walls of chitin?

a. Protista c. Plantae
b. Fungi d. Animalia

ANS: B DIF: B REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.1

36. What kingdoms composed the three-kingdom classification system used by scientists in the late
1800s?
a. animals, plants, fungi c. animals, fungi, protists
b. animals, plants, bacteria d. animals, plants, protists

ANS: D DIF: A REF: p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.1

37. Which of the kingdoms in the six-kingdom system of classification was once grouped with plants?
a. Animalia c. Fungi
b. Carnivores d. Protista

ANS: C DIF: A REF: p. 457 OBJ: 18.3.1

38. Some scientists propose that the kingdom Protista should be broken up into several kingdoms. Which
of these statements accurately supports this idea?
a. Protists are all very similar and easy to confuse.
b. Protista contains very diverse organisms that do not fit into the other kingdoms.
c. Protists are the most numerous organisms on Earth.
d. Protista evolved before any other kingdom.

ANS: B DIF: E REF: p. 460 OBJ: 18.3.1

39. The domain that corresponds to the kingdom Eubacteria is

a. Archaea. c. Eukarya.
b. Bacteria. d. Fungi.

ANS: B DIF: B REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

 40. The domain that contains unicellular organisms that live in extreme environments is
a. Eubacteria. c. Archaea.
b. Eukarya. d. Bacteria.

ANS: C DIF: B REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

41. The two domains composed of only unicellular organisms are

a. Eubacteria and Archaea. c. Archaea and Bacteria.
b. Eukarya and Bacteria. d. Archaea and Eukarya.

ANS: C DIF: E REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

42. The three-domain system arose when scientists grouped organisms according to how long they have
been
a. alive in their present forms. c. evolving independently.
b. going extinct. d. using DNA to store information.

ANS: C DIF: B REF: p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.2

43. The three-domain system recognizes fundamental differences between two groups of
a. prokaryotes. c. protists.
b. eukaryotes. d. multicellular organisms.

ANS: A DIF: A REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

44. Organisms in the kingdoms Eubacteria and Archaebacteria were previously grouped in a kingdom
called
a. Animalia. c. Monera.
b. Fungi. d. Eukarya.

ANS: C DIF: A REF: p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.1

45. What is thought to be true about the three domains of living things?
a. They diverged from a common ancestor fairly recently.
b. They diverged from a common ancestor before the evolution of the main groups of
eukaryotes.
c. They did not have a common ancestor.
d. Domains Bacteria and Archaea evolved after the main groups of eukaryotes.

ANS: B DIF: E REF: p. 458, p. 459

OBJ: 18.3.2

MODIFIED TRUE/FALSE

1. An organism may have different common names that vary from area to area and language to language.
_________________________

ANS: T DIF: B REF: p. 448

OBJ: 18.1.1
2. Scientists try to organize living things into groups that have economic significance.
_________________________

ANS: F
biological
scientific

DIF: A REF: p. 447 OBJ: 18.1.1

3. In binomial nomenclature, each species is assigned a two-part scientific name.

_________________________

ANS: T DIF: B REF: p. 448

OBJ: 18.1.2

4. In the name Ursus maritimus, the first term of the name refers to the species.
_________________________

ANS: F, genus

DIF: A REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

5. Linnaeus’s system of classification uses seven taxonomic categories. _________________________

ANS: T DIF: A REF: p. 449

OBJ: 18.1.3

6. An order is a broad taxonomic category composed of similar phyla. _________________________

ANS: F, families

DIF: E REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

7. American vultures are now classified with storks instead of with African vultures because of evidence
based on body structure. _________________________

ANS: F, DNA

DIF: E REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.1

8. Biologists attempt to group organisms into categories that represent lines of evolutionary descent.
_________________________

ANS: T DIF: A REF: p. 452

OBJ: 18.2.2

9. Cladistic analysis considers characteristics that have arisen as lineages have evolved over time.
_________________________

ANS: T DIF: E REF: p. 453

 OBJ: 18.2.2

10. Scientists often look for similar genes in very dissimilar organisms. _________________________

ANS: T DIF: B REF: p. 454

OBJ: 18.2.3

11. Evidence shows that the same gene that codes for a particular protein in human muscle also codes for
that protein in yeasts, indicating common ancestry. _________________________

ANS: T DIF: E REF: p. 454

OBJ: 18.2.3

12. The six kingdoms of life are Eubacteria, Monera, Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia.
_________________________

ANS: F, Archaebacteria

DIF: A REF: p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.1

13. The older kingdom Monera contains the same organisms as the two domains Bacteria and Archaea.
_________________________

ANS: T DIF: B REF: p. 458

OBJ: 18.3.2

14. The kingdom Eubacteria contains the same organisms as the domain Animalia.
_________________________

ANS: F, Bacteria

DIF: B REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

15. Archaea differ from Bacteria in that the cell walls of Archaea lack peptidoglycans.
_________________________

ANS: T DIF: E REF: p. 459

OBJ: 18.3.2

COMPLETION

1. When scientists use a(an) _________________________ for an organism, they can be certain they are
all discussing the same organism.

ANS: scientific name

DIF: B REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.1

2. The animals Panthera leo (lion) and ____________________ tigris (tiger) belong to the same genus.
 ANS: Panthera

DIF: E REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.1

3. The use of a two-part scientific name for organisms is called ____________________ nomenclature.

ANS: binomial

DIF: B REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

4. In taxonomy, different classes of organisms might be grouped into a ____________________, which is

the next (larger) category.

ANS: phylum

DIF: A REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.2

5. In Linnaeus’s system of classification, the two smallest categories are genus and
____________________.

ANS: species

DIF: B REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

6. In taxonomy, the class Mammalia is grouped with the classes Aves, Reptilia, Amphibia, and several
classes of fishes into the phylum ____________________.

ANS: Chordata

DIF: E REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

7. Traditional classification is based on general similarities of _________________________ among

organisms.

ANS: body structure

DIF: A REF: p. 451 OBJ: 18.2.1

8. In traditional classification, some similarities that were used to group organisms were based on
_________________________ instead of a shared evolutionary history.

ANS: convergent evolution

DIF: E REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.2.1

9. In cladistic analysis, a characteristic that arises as a lineage of organisms evolves over time is called
a(an) _________________________.

ANS: derived character

 DIF: A REF: p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

10. DNA analyses show that the ____________________ of many dissimilar organisms show important
similarities at the molecular level.

ANS: genes

DIF: E REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

11. Evidence shows that very dissimilar organisms, such as yeasts and humans, have some genes in
common, indicating that they share a common ____________________.

ANS: ancestor

DIF: E REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

12. The six kingdoms of life include bacteria that have cell walls with peptidoglycan, bacteria that have
cell walls without peptidoglycan, protists, fungi, animals, and ____________________.

ANS: plants

DIF: B REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.1

13. Unlike the five-kingdom system of classification, the six-kingdom system breaks
____________________ into two groups.

ANS: bacteria

DIF: E REF: p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.1

14. The domain ____________________ contains plants, fungi, protists, and animals—which are all
eukaryotes.

ANS: Eukarya

DIF: B REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

15. The domain ____________________ is composed of the kingdom Eubacteria.

ANS: Bacteria

DIF: A REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

SHORT ANSWER

1. Why might a particular kind of organism have more than one common name?

ANS:
The name of an organism is often different in different locations and different languages.
 DIF: A REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.1

2. How do you know that the species Ursus maritimus and Ursus arctos are closely related?

ANS:
Their scientific names show that they both belong to the same genus.

DIF: A REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

3. How many terms make up the scientific name of a species? How is that name distinguished in print
from the common name of a species?

ANS:
A scientific name is composed of two terms, that are written in italics, with the first term capitalized.

DIF: E REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

4. Why are such different animals as fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals grouped into a
single phylum?

ANS:
Despite their differences, these groups share some common features, including a similar body plan and
similar internal functions, indicating a shared evolutionary history.

DIF: A REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

5. If you know nothing else about an organism except its scientific name, can you immediately determine
what genus and family it is in? Explain.

ANS:
The scientific name provides the organism’s genus in the first of the two words that make up the name,
but it does not give information about the organism’s family.

DIF: E REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.3

6. What is evolutionary classification? How does it differ from traditional biological classification?

ANS:
Evolutionary classification is grouping organisms by lines of evolutionary descent instead of focusing
mainly on similarities of body structure, as in traditional classification.

DIF: B REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.2.1

7. How does analysis of DNA help scientists establish an evolutionary classification scheme?

ANS:
DNA comparisons can indicate a common ancestry among different organisms and can also indicate
how long they have been evolving separately.

DIF: E REF: p. 452, p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

 Figure 18–1

8. Which grouping in Figure 18–1, A or B, shows the older, traditional, method of classifying the three
animals shown? What kind of evidence was used to support that classification?

ANS:
A; comparisons of body structure

DIF: B REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.2.2

9. Which system of grouping in Figure 18–1, A or B, provides information about the evolution of the
three animals? What is the name of the diagram used to show that information?

ANS:
B; a cladogram

DIF: B REF: p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

10. According to the cladogram in Figure 18–1, what two characteristics do crabs and barnacles share that
limpets do not?

ANS:
segmentation and a molted external skeleton

DIF: A REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.2.2

11. In Figure 18–1, what does diagram B, which is based on more recent evidence, show about the
classification of animals shown in diagram A?

ANS:
Diagram B indicates that the traditional taxonomic grouping shown in diagram A classified less closely
related groups together while failing to show a close relationship within the groups.

DIF: E REF: p. 452, p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

 12. What recently developed technology allows scientists to compare the DNA of different kinds of
organisms to determine classification?

ANS:
the ability to sequence or “read” and compare the information coded in the DNA of different
organisms

DIF: A REF: p. 454 OBJ: 18.2.3

13. How can scientists compare very dissimilar organisms such as yeasts and humans?

ANS:
Through the analysis of DNA, RNA, and other molecules as well as molecular clocks

DIF: E REF: p. 454, p. 455 OBJ: 18.2.3

14. What characteristic did biologists use to reclassify some organisms from the plant or animal kingdom
to the kingdom Protista?

ANS:
Biologists reclassified microscopic organisms in the kingdom Protista.

DIF: B REF: p. 457 OBJ: 18.3.1

15. What characteristic is used to place an organism in the domain Eukarya?

ANS:
the presence of a nucleus in its cell(s)

DIF: B REF: p. 460 OBJ: 18.3.2

OTHER

USING SCIENCE SKILLS

 Figure 18–2

1. Interpreting Graphs Which level of taxonomic category shown in Figure 18–2 contains the greatest
number of different organisms?

ANS:
the kingdom

DIF: B REF: p. 449, p. 450 OBJ: 18.1.3

2. Classifying Do all organisms shown in Figure 18–2 that belong to the order Carnivora also belong to
the phylum Chordata? Explain.

ANS:
Yes; from the genus through the kingdom, each general category contains the categories shown
beneath it.

DIF: B REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

3. Classifying Do all organisms shown in Figure 18–2 that belong to the class Mammalia also belong to
the genus Ursus? Explain.

ANS:
No; the genus Ursus contains the species Ursus arctos and possibly other species, but it does not
contain any of the catagories above it.
 DIF: B REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

4. Observing Based on the information in Figure 18–2, describe how the diversity at each level changes
from species to kingdom.

ANS:
The species has the least diversity. From genus upward, each category has more diversity than the one
before it. The kingdom shows the greatest diversity.

DIF: B REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

5. Inferring Considering the information in Figure 18–2, if you were given a species name and no other
information about an unfamiliar organism, what is the largest taxonomic category that you could
assign it to?

ANS:
the genus

DIF: B REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

USING SCIENCE SKILLS

Classification of Living Things

DOMAIN Bacteria Archaea Eukarya
KINGDOM Eubacteria Archaebacteria Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia

CELL TYPE Prokaryote Prokaryote Eukaryote Eukaryote Eukaryote Eukaryote

CELL Cell walls with Cell walls without Cell walls of Cell walls of Cell walls of No cell walls
STRUCTURES peptidoglycan peptidoglycan cellulose in some; chitin cellulose; or
some have chloroplasts chloroplasts
chloroplasts

NUMBER OF Unicellular Unicellular Most unicellular; Most Multicellular Multicellular

CELLS some colonial; some multicellular;
multicellular some
unicellular

MODE OF Autotroph or Autotroph or Autotroph or Heterotroph Autotroph Heterotroph

NUTRITION heterotroph heterotroph heterotroph

EXAMPLES Streptococcus, Methanogens, Amoeba, Mushrooms, Mosses, ferns, Sponges,

Escherichia coli halophiles Paramecium, slime yeasts flowering worms,
molds, giant kelp plants insects,
fishes,
mammals

Figure 18–3

6. Using Tables and Graphs According to Figure 18–3, what is the main difference between the domain
Bacteria and the domain Archaea?

ANS:
Bacteria have cell walls with peptidoglycan, whereas the cell walls of Archaea lack peptidoglycan.

DIF: A REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

 7. Applying Concepts If you know an organism has a cell wall and is a multicellular autotroph, could
you use Figure 18–3 to determine the kingdom to which it belongs? Why or why not?

ANS:
No; it could belong to either Protista or Plantae.

DIF: A REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.1

8. Using Tables and Graphs Can you determine, by examining Figure 18–3, which kingdom contains
the greatest number of species? Why or why not?

ANS:
No; the table gives no information about the number of species in each kingdom.

DIF: A REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.1

9. Applying Concepts If you were told only that an organism is unicellular and has chloroplasts and a
nucleus, could you use Figure 18–3 to determine the kingdom to which it belongs? Why or why not?

ANS:
Yes; it could only be a protist because the protists are the only eukaryotic unicellular organisms that
have chloroplasts.

DIF: A REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.1

10. Using Tables and Graphs Considering the data presented in Figure 18–3, which characteristic seems
more important in assigning an organism to a specific domain—the presence or absence of a nucleus
or its mode of nutrition? Why?

ANS:
The presence or absence of a nucleus is more important. All three domains contain both autotrophs and
heterotrophs.

DIF: A REF: p. 459 OBJ: 18.3.2

USING SCIENCE SKILLS

Classification of Four Organisms

Whale Humpback Spider
Corn Shark Whale Monkey
Kingdom Plantae Animalia Animalia Animalia
Phylum Anthophyta Chordata Chordata Chordata
Class Monocotyledones Chondrichthyes Mammalia Mammalia
Order Commelinales Squaliformes Cetacea Primates
Family Poaceae Rhincodontidae Balaenopteridae Atelidae
 Genus Zea Rhincodon Megaptera Ateles
Species Zea mays Rhinacodon typus Megaptera Ateles
novaeangilae paniscus

Figure 18–4

11. Using Tables and Graphs Which two organisms listed in Figure 18–4 are most closely related to each
other? Explain.

ANS:
The humpback whale and the spider monkey are most closely related because they belong to the same
class.

DIF: E REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

12. Using Tables and Graphs Which level of taxonomic category shown in Figure 18–4 indicates
whether an organism is a mammal or not?

ANS:
the class

DIF: E REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

13. Using Tables and Graphs How many different kingdoms are represented by the organisms listed in
Figure 18–4? What are they?

ANS:
two; Plantae and Animalia

DIF: E REF: p. 449 OBJ: 18.1.3

14. Inferring If you were adding a column to Figure 18–4 for the protist species Amoeba proteus, what
taxonomic category, if any, would be the same as for any of the organisms shown in Figure 18–4?
Explain.

ANS:
None, since this species belongs to the kingdom Protista.

DIF: E REF: p. 449, p. 459 OBJ: 18.1.3

15. Inferring Consider the following statement: “Size and shape are NOT reliable indicators of how
closely different organisms are related.” What information shown in Figure 18–4 supports this
statement?

ANS:
The whale and the shark look most alike, yet they belong to different classes. The monkey and the
whale are more closely related than any other pair here, yet they differ greatly in size and shape.
 DIF: E REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.1.3

ESSAY

1. Identify the two parts of a scientific name, and explain what information can sometimes be inferred
from the scientific name of an organism.

ANS:
The first part of a scientific name refers to the genus—the group of closely related species to which the
organism belongs. The second part of the name is unique to each species within the genus. It is
sometimes a Latinized description of an important trait of the organism or an indication of where the
organism lives.

DIF: E REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.1

2. How is binomial nomenclature superior to the descriptive names used by early scientists?

ANS:
Earlier descriptive scientific names were very long, and they were not standardized among all
scientists. Binomial names are brief and standard, and the genus name identifies a group of closely
related species.

DIF: A REF: p. 448 OBJ: 18.1.2

3. What effect might the common use of the microscope by biologists have had on Linnaeus’s original
system of taxonomy? Explain.

ANS:
Common use of the microscope by biologists likely would have increased the number of species that
were identified, and it would have forced biologists to establish new classification criteria and
categories because it would have revealed the widespread existence of microscopic organisms.

DIF: E REF: p. 449, p. 457 OBJ: 18.1.3

4. How does traditional classification differ from evolutionary classification?

ANS:
Traditional classification places organisms into categories based mainly upon similarities of body
structure. Evolutionary classification, on the other hand, places organisms into categories that
represent lines of evolutionary descent rather than just physical similarities.

DIF: A REF: p. 452 OBJ: 18.2.1

5. How does cladistic analysis determine the order in which a set of related species evolved?

ANS:
Cladistic analysis considers derived characters, which are evolutionary innovations. If a specific
derived character is present in one species but absent in another species, biologists infer that the
species possessing the character evolved second.
 DIF: E REF: p. 453 OBJ: 18.2.2

6. How are neutral mutations useful for estimating the relationship between two species?

ANS:
Neutral mutations, which have no effect on phenotype, are not subject to pressure from natural
selection. Because neutral mutations can accumulate at about the same rate in particular regions of the
DNA of different species, a comparison of such DNA sequences in two species can indicate how
similar their genes are.

DIF: A REF: p. 455 OBJ: 18.2.3

7. Briefly explain the history of how microorganisms have been classified—beginning with the early
systems of classification and leading to the modern six-kingdom system.

ANS:
When scientists first realized that microorganisms differed greatly from plants and animals, they
grouped them all in the kingdom Protista. Later, the fungi (which includes microscopic yeasts) were
placed into their own kingdom. Later still, prokaryotes were separated from single-celled eukaryotes
and placed in their own kingdom, called Monera. Today, the monerans have been divided into two
kingdoms, Eubacteria and Archaebacteria.

DIF: A REF: p. 457, p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.1

8. How has an increasing knowledge about organisms affected the number of kingdoms now recognized
by biologists? Explain.

ANS:
As biologists learned more about the natural world, they realized that Linnaeus’s two kingdoms,
Animalia and Plantae, did not adequately represent the full diversity of life. As a result, the original
two kingdoms have today become six kingdoms, with two of those groups used just for classifying
bacteria.

DIF: E REF: p. 457, p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.1

9. Identify a major source of evidence used by scientists who advocate the adoption of the three-domain
system for classifying living things.

ANS:
Researchers have performed comparative studies of a small subunit of ribosomal RNA present in all
living things. Using these data to establish a molecular clock, scientists have grouped modern
organisms according to how long they have been evolving independently. The result is the three
distinct groups that are now called domains.

DIF: A REF: p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.2

10. Why might the three-domain system be a more valid reflection of evolutionary history than the six-
kingdom system?

ANS:
The three-domain system was produced using a molecular clock model, which suggests the divergence
of organisms along three main lines. The six-kingdom system, on the other hand, includes at least one
kingdom (Protista) that is based on general similarities rather than evolutionary relationships.

DIF: E REF: p. 458 OBJ: 18.3.2