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Lecture 2 - Intro To Systematics

Systematics is the scientific study of the diversity of organisms and their relationships. It involves classifying organisms and assigning scientific names in a universal system. Key areas of systematics include biodiversity, taxonomy, classification, nomenclature, biogeography, evolutionary systematics, and phylogenetics. Systematists use tools like morphology, biochemistry, and molecular comparisons to infer evolutionary relationships and classify organisms. Taxonomy provides information about organic diversity and phylogenetic relationships that is crucial for many fields of biology.

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608 views20 pages

Lecture 2 - Intro To Systematics

Systematics is the scientific study of the diversity of organisms and their relationships. It involves classifying organisms and assigning scientific names in a universal system. Key areas of systematics include biodiversity, taxonomy, classification, nomenclature, biogeography, evolutionary systematics, and phylogenetics. Systematists use tools like morphology, biochemistry, and molecular comparisons to infer evolutionary relationships and classify organisms. Taxonomy provides information about organic diversity and phylogenetic relationships that is crucial for many fields of biology.

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Bren Donatos
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Introduction

to
Systematics
The Science of
Systematics
 Definition
◦ from the latinized Greek word “systema”
(organized whole) as applied to systems of
classification developed by early
naturalists, notably Carolus Linnaeus
(1735, Systema naturae)
◦ according to G. G. Simpson (1961)
-- it is the scientific study of the
kinds & diversity of organisms & of any
& all relationships (all biological
interactions) among them
*simply, it is the science of the
diversity of organisms
 Broad overlap in the terms
systematics & taxonomy in dealing w/
the diversity & uniqueness of life; but
there is also subtle difference.
Taxonomy ---derived from Greek
word “taxis” (arrangement) &
“nomos” (law)
- first proposed in its
French form by de Candolle (1813) for
the Theory of Plant Classification
Taxonom
y - simply, the theory &
practice of classifying
organisms
-has 2 divisions:
1.classification
---arrangement of the kinds of
organisms from smaller to larger groups
2.nomenclature ---
procedure of assigning names to the
kinds & groups of organisms to be
classified
Why common names are disadvantageous
1. Only scientific names are universal, used the same world-
wide; e.g., Ipomoea -Woodbine, Morning Glory

2. Common names are not consistent.


a) A taxon may have more than one common name (e.g.,
chamise, greasewood for Adenostoma fasciculatum).
b) One common name may refer to more than one taxon
(e.g.,
”hemlock” for both Tsuga and for Conium maculatum)

3. Common names tell nothing about rank; scientific


names do.

4. Many, if not most, organisms have no common name in any


language.
7 Component Fields of
Systematics
1. Biodiversity
2. Taxonomy
3. Classification
4. Nomenclature
5. Biogeography
6. Evolutionary
Systematics
7. Phylogenetics
Biodiversity
-number & kinds of organisms
Taxonomy
-art & science of describing organisms
Classification
-methods of grouping organisms
-could be artificial, natural, or
evolutionary ----- based on
homology Nomenclature
-science of naming organisms
Biogeography
-studies the distribution of organisms
-aims to reveal where organisms live, at
what abundance, and why they are (or are
not) found in a certain geographical area.

Evolutionary Systematics
-seeks to classify organisms using a
combination of phylogenetic relationship
and overall similarity (homology)
-considers taxa rather than single species,
so that groups of species give rise to new
groups
Phylogenetics
- study of evolutionary relatedness
among groups of organisms(e.g. species,
populations), which is discovered
through molecular sequencing data and
morphological data matrices
Scope of
Systematics
1.Deals w/ populations, species, &
higher taxa
-supplies needed information about
these levels
-cultivates:
-- a way of thinking
-- a way of approaching
biological problems important for the
balance & well-being of biology as a
whole
2. Using comparative method, it
determines:

a.what the unique properties of each


species & higher taxon (variation within
taxa) are
b.what properties certain taxa have in
common, and
c.what the biological causes of the
differences or shared characters
are
Aims of Systematics
1.To inventory the world’s kinds of organisms
(flora & fauna)
2.To provide a method for identification &
communication
3. To produce a coherent & universal
system of classification
*classification makes organic diversity
accessible to the other biological
disciplines
4.To demonstrate the evolutionary
implications of biodiversity
Contributions of Systematics
to Biology
Applied Biology

◦ epidemiology of malaria in Europe


-Anopheles maculipennis found throughout
the continent
-but, malaria was restricted to local
districts & money were wasted because no
one understood the connection between
distribution of the mosquito & that of malaria
-careful taxonomic studies provided
the key to the problem:
* A. maculipennis consist of
several sibling species w/ different
habitats; only some species are vectors of
malaria in a given area
-thus, the control of the species
was directed to specific areas where
the organisms that causes malaria
occurs
Other fields
◦ correct identification & classification
of species in agriculture, public health,
ecology, conservation,
genetics, and
behavioral biology
Tools of Systematics
 Currently, systematists use
◦ Morphological, biochemical, and molecular
comparisons to infer evolutionary
relationships
 In evaluating molecular homologies,
systematists use computer programs
and mathematical tools
◦ When analyzing comparable D N A segments
from different organisms
1 Ancestral homologous
DNA segments are 1 C C AT CAGAG T C C
identical as species 1
and species 2 begin to 2CCATCAGAGTCC
AC G GATAGT C CACTA G G CACT A
diverge from their
common ancestor.
TCACCGACAG GTCTT T GACTA G
Deletion
2 Deletion and insertion
mutations shift what 1 C C AT C AGAG T C C
had been matching
2 C C AT C AGAGT C C
sequences in the two
species.
G T A Insertion

3 Homologous regions (yellow) C AA G T C C


do not all align because of 1 C CA T
these mutations. 2 CCA T G TACA G AGTC C

4 Homologous regions CCA T C A AGTC C


1
realign after a computer
program adds gaps in G T A C A G AGTC C
sequence 1. 2 C CA T
Roles of
Taxonomy
1.The only science that provides vivid
picture of organic diversity
(eukaryotes/prokaryotes;
sexual/asexual; producer/consumer)

2.Provides much of the information for the


reconstruction of phylogeny (shows
genealogical relationships among species)

3.Reveals evolutionary phenomena making


them available for causal study
4.Supplies classifications which have
heuristic (leads to discovery) &
explanatory value in fields of evolution,
biochemistry, ecology, genetics

5.Supplies almost all info for entire


branches of biology, and

6.Makes important conceptual


contributions that would not otherwise
be easily accessible to experimental
biologists

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