Animal Kingdom
Animal Classification
When we go to a bookstore, we see thousands of books neatly arranged. First, they are grouped by subjects. We see labels such as novels, memoirs, comics, and history.
Within each of those groups, the books are shelved in alphabetical order of authors' last names. Since all the books are kept in a logical order, it is easy for us to find a book that interests us.
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Just as with books, scientists use a similar approach to categorize all the animals that have ever lived on Earth. They look at each animal's anatomy and behaviors. Then scientists identify animals with similar traits and group them together. From there, scientists make further distinctions among animals of a given group. Larger groups are divided into many smaller groups. Scientists continue this process until they can dissect the group no more. 2
A diagram of this shows a multi-level classification system. The higher a level is in the animal classification scheme, the more animals it has. Let's look at the table below. Notice how many levels the animal classification system has. The table shows how scientists classify giraffes.
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Levels (from the highest to the lowest)
Example
Kingdom
Kingdom Animalia is the broadest category of all in the animal classification system. It includes every animal.
Phylum (plural: Phyla)
Phylum Chordata includes all animals of the Kingdom Animalia that have spinal cords. Class
Class Mammalia includes all warm-blooded animals of the Phylum Chordata that have hair and feed their young with milk.
Order
Order Artiodactyla includes all animals of the Class Mammalia that have an even number of toes in their hooves.
Family
Family Giraffidae includes all animals of the Order Artiodactyla that have long legs, a long narrow head with small horns, thin lips, and long tongues.
Genus (plural: Genera) Genus Okapia and Genus Giraffa
Species
Species camelopardalis, also known as giraffes in
When we go to a bookstore, we see thousands of books neatly arranged. First, they are grouped by subjects. We see labels such as novels, memoirs, comics, and history.
Within each of those groups, the books are shelved in alphabetical order of authors' last names. Since all the books are kept in a logical order, it is easy for us to find a book that interests us.
1
Just as with books, scientists use a similar approach to categorize all the animals that have ever lived on Earth. They look at each animal's anatomy and behaviors. Then scientists identify animals with similar traits and group them together. From there, scientists make further distinctions among animals of a given group. Larger groups are divided into many smaller groups. Scientists continue this process until they can dissect the group no more. 2
A diagram of this shows a multi-level classification system. The higher a level is in the animal classification scheme, the more animals it has. Let's look at the table below. Notice how many levels the animal classification system has. The table shows how scientists classify giraffes.
3
4
Levels (from the highest to the lowest)
Example
Kingdom
Kingdom Animalia is the broadest category of all in the animal classification system. It includes every animal.
Phylum (plural: Phyla)
Phylum Chordata includes all animals of the Kingdom Animalia that have spinal cords. Class
Class Mammalia includes all warm-blooded animals of the Phylum Chordata that have hair and feed their young with milk.
Order
Order Artiodactyla includes all animals of the Class Mammalia that have an even number of toes in their hooves.
Family
Family Giraffidae includes all animals of the Order Artiodactyla that have long legs, a long narrow head with small horns, thin lips, and long tongues.
Genus (plural: Genera) Genus Okapia and Genus Giraffa
Species
Species camelopardalis, also known as giraffes in