Guide to Internet Resources for Biological Taxonomy & Classification

TAXONOMY - Overviews
NCBI Taxonomy Browser	Dictionaries & Encyclopedias	NHMCCD Library Resources

As a guideline to create these resource pages, we used the "Classification Of Life" in Appendix Three from the 4th edition of Biology by Neil A. Campbell. The textbook states "This appendix presents the taxonomic classification used for the major groups of organisms discussed in this text; not all phyla are included. Plant and fungal divisions are the taxonomic equivalents of phyla. The classification reviewed here is based on the five-kingdom system..."

Use the dictionary and encyclopedia links to help define and, in some cases, provide the scientific name for your chosen organism(s). For much more detailed information, select an appropriate Kingdom from this chart.

KINGDOMS
Kingdom Animalia	Kingdom Fungi	Kingdom Monera	Kingdom Plantae	Kingdom Protista

Find your organism lineage - fast!

NCBI Taxonomy Browser
Do a search at NCBI to retrieve the complete lineage of your species. This database does allow searches by common name and is very complete. If you do not find your species, try a variation on the name, ex: crayfish instead of crawfish or mangroves vs. mangrove. If you need guidance, use the online help sheet.

Define your terms - why are both spiders and lobsters called arthropods?

NatureServe: an online encyclopedia of life
"Welcome to NatureServe, a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals, and ecological communities of the United States and Canada. NatureServe provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe is a product of the Association for Biodiversity Information in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network."

BioTech's Life Science Dictionary
Located at The University of Texas, "BioTech is a hybrid biology/chemistry educational resource and research tool on the World Wide Web...8300+ terms deal with biochemistry, biotechnology, botany, cell biology and genetics. Don't expect to find common or exotic animals here; there are far too many species to cover even a fraction in a resource like this. However, we've included medically- and biotechnologically-relevant organisms such as bacteria, worms, fungi, and some plants."

The On-line Medical Dictionary (OMD)
Contains cross-referenced definitions of more than 65,000 words related to medicine, biology, chemistry and other branches of science. This resource may also be used to define the characteristics of most classification terms, i.e. kingdoms, phylums, orders. It helps to already have the scientific terms or names to use this search tool. For an introduction to this resource, try a search for the term "Taxonomy."

On/Off-Campus Databases

For Off-Campus access to the following databases, use this link to NHMCCD Library Databases.

Encyclopedia of Animals (click here for off-campus access)
"EBSCO's Encyclopedia of Animals offers in-depth information on a variety of topics relating to animals. The database consists of indexing, abstracts, and full text records describing the nature and habitat of familiar animals. Within some of the full text, image links are available for the Windows client. Images are accessed by double-clicking any image graphic."

Overviews of Taxonomy

Journey into the World of Cladistics
This series of Web pages focuses on phylogeny- how organisms are classified. By examining fossils, organism distribution, and shared characteristics, for example, it is possible to pull together the relationships that connect all living organisms to each other.

Introduction to Phylogenetic Biology
From the Tree of Life. This is another explanation of how and why scientists try to determine relationships between organisms.

Guide to the Animal Kingdom for Students and Educators
"Links to useful internet resources for each major animal group are provided via BiologyBrowser - an interactive portal designed by BIOSIS for the life science community."

Index of Phyla
From the General Zoology class at the University of Minnesota a description of Phylum, Class, etc. "These pages are designed to inform you about: The Taxonomic Group - A list of some of the major defining characteristics for that taxonomic Phylum are listed, with special emphasis on the hallmark characteristics for that group and other terms that may be new to you." (Be sure to scroll down to find links to each Phylum)

Diversity of Life
This is the first Web page in a new series created by Busch Gardens/Sea World. The multi-paged website serves as a study guide and includes extensive biological explanations and definitions. From these pages "Students will recognize the importance of diversity and the role that interdependency plays in our world."

Classification of Living Things: Principles of Classification
Great information plus an exceptionally attractive web site with sound and lots of quality graphics. "An introduction to the Principle of Taxonomy" from Dennis O'Neil, at Palomar College in San Marcos, California. Click on the link to access "Principles of Classification."

A Plant and Animal Phylogeny Exercise
An excellent explanation and lesson on phylogeny from the Department of Biology at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Taxonomy Lab: The "Nuts & Bolts" of Taxonomy and Classification
"This exercise illustrates the creativity involved in taxonomy and the roles form and function, ancestral traits and derived characters play in generating classification schemes." An excellent and thorough overview of taxonomic classification. Compiled by R. Hay Cummins, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Miami University, OH.

Living Things: Families
A bit "elementary" but still a website worth seeing and hearing! Simple explanations and links to websites within each Kingdom.

Glossary of Phylogenetic Systematics
"This text is a revised translation of my stenciled handout-manuscript for different courses on metazoan morphology, systematics and phylogeny at the Eberhard-Karls-University of Tübingen / Germany, under the supervision of Dr Gerhard Mickoleit. The definitions and comments refer to Phylogenetic Systematics sensu."

Taxacom List Serve Archives
Discussion group for taxonomic classification issues. The TAXACOM Listserv list is managed by Peter Rauch, Berkeley, California and Jim Beach, University of Kansas Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, Lawrence, Kansas

The Extinction Files
"The BBC's educational division offers this searchable Website on past extinctions. Organized into five main sections, the site covers Mass Extinctions; Cast, Past and Present; Theories; Big Questions; and Last Extinction. In addition, there is a glossary section (Some Terms Explained) and a selection of links. The site offers interesting facts on paleontology, with an emphasis on the eras in which extinctions took place and brief introductions to the groups of organisms that went extinct (as well as some of those that survived). The emphasis is on extinction as a natural process, and the current, human-driven extinction is not considered in detail."

TreeBase: A Database of Phylogenetic Knowledge
"TreeBASE is a relational database of phylogenetic information sponsored by Harvard University Herbaria, Leiden University EEW, and the University of California, Davis. TreeBASE stores phylogenetic trees and the data matrices used to generate them from published research papers."

Systematic Biology Home Page
From the University of Texas, a publication of the Society of Systematic Biologists.

The Electronic Zoo
Immerse yourself in the world of animals. Well-maintained, exhaustive guide with link to the NetVet veterinary site.

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