Taxonomy and Biological Naming

Taxonomy is the system scientists use to classify and name living organisms by shared traits. It organizes life into a series of ranked groups that use Latin names. The smallest taxonomic units are genus and species, and these two levels are used to give each organism a formal name. This naming system is called binomial nome...

Taxonomy, the science of naming groups of organisms based on shared characteristics, was first formally classified by Carolus Linnaeus in the 18th century.

He grouped organisms using a hierarchy of increasingly inclusive categories that are still used today. Similar species, the smallest unit of taxonomy, are grouped into the same genus.