Binomial System
- The diversity of life on Earth is vast, and is known as global biodiversity
- The extent of global biodiversity is such that scientists can only estimate the total number of species present on Earth, and it is likely that there are many species yet to be discovered
- For biologists to make sense of the huge array of species, organising them into logical groups is essential
- This process of putting organisms into groups is known as classification
- The science of classification is known as taxonomy, and scientists working in the field of taxonomy are taxonomists
- Classifying an organism involves deciding which biological group, or taxon (plural taxa), it fits into best, and then naming it according to its taxon
- Historically an organism's biological group was determined on the basis of its observable characteristics, and today this information is combined with DNA sequence data for more accurate classification
A Universal Naming System
- The biological system of naming used to name species according to their taxa is known as the binomial system
- This system is universal, ensuring that scientists around the world all use the same method of naming species
- In the past, individual scientists decided on species names; names could be very long, and often one species could have different names in different parts of the world
- To ensure that all biologists know, and agree on, the criteria for naming species, regular meetings called congresses are held to discuss naming conventions
- The first International Zoological Congress was held in 1889, during which taxonomists agreed on the rules that should be used for classifying and naming species
- Congresses have since been held at regular intervals, with separate meetings for scientists who study different groups of organisms e.g. animals, plants, and fungi
The Binomial System
- The binomial naming system, or system of nomenclature, was introduced by the Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 book, Systema Naturae
- The system involves giving a species a two-part name, hence binomial
- Both parts of the name are in Latin, or a latinised version of a non-Latin word
- e.g. Eriovixia gryffindori is a species of orb spider named after a famous school house
- The first part of the name is an organism's genus, and the second is its species name
- E.g. the binomial name of a wolf is Canis lupus; wolves belong to the genus Canis, and the species lupus
- There are several conventions, or rules, that should be used when writing binomial names
- The genus should begin with a capital letter, and the species with a lower-case letter, e.g. the honey bee is Apis mellifera
- When typed, binomial names should appear in italics, and when written by hand, they should be underlined e.g. a limpet is Patella vulgata when typed, or Patella vulgata by hand
- The first time a binomial name is used in a text it should appear in full, e.g. wheat is Triticum aestivum, but the genus name can from then on be abbreviated to T. aestivum
NOS: Cooperation and collaboration between groups of scientists; scientists use the binomial system to identify a species rather than the many different local names
- The work of scientists does not take place within the confines of a laboratory, or even a country, but can have implications for the work of other scientists around the world
- Because of the international nature of scientific research, it is essential that scientists are able to communicate with each other clearly about their work
- For scientific communication to be effective and allow collaboration, it is essential that scientific language enables scientists to be sure that they are talking about the same thing
- The binomial naming system is a good example of a system that enables scientists to communicate clearly with each other about living organisms
- The binomial system is essential because it ensures that scientists are all talking about the same species
- Different countries may have different common names for the same species e.g. In English, Felis domesticus is known as a cat, but around the world it is also known as kitte, maow, chat, kissa, bili, and gato
- Different local or cultural names may arise even within a country e.g. in the UK alone the woodlouse, Onescus asellus, has more than 50 different local names that include woodpigs, cheesy bobs, woodywigs, chuggy pigs, and crunchy bats, and another country may have an equally long list of local, or cultural names for the same species
- There are also examples of species where one name might be used for different species in different parts of the world, e.g. the robin in the US is a completely different species of bird to the robin in Europe
- There is nothing wrong with maintaining the use of different common names around the world, but when scientists discuss their work, the binomial system ensures that they are communicating effectively with each other