Science Common Sense

33 - How do scientists classify animals?

Scientists classify animals using a system called taxonomy. They group animals into categories based on their body structure, habits, and how related they are. There are seven main categories, in order from largest to smallest:

1. Kingdom: This tells if it's an animal, plant, or something else.
2. Phylum (or division in plants): What body structure it has.
3. Class: How the animal moves and lives.
4. Order: What the animal eats and how it finds food.
5. Family: How closely related it is to other animals.
6. Genus: A group of very closely related animals.
7. Species: The smallest group, which is just one type of animal.

For example, a lion's classification would be:

• Kingdom: Animal
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Carnivora
• Family: Felidae
• Genus: Panthera
• Species: leo

This helps scientists to understand how animals are connected and what makes them different.