Discovering and naming new species
I can describe how scientists group, identify and name new species of living things.
Discovering and naming new species
I can describe how scientists group, identify and name new species of living things.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Taxonomists describe thousands and thousands of new living species every year.
- New species must be described in detail, including which features make it similar and different to close relatives.
- Species are always identified by both a generic name and a species name.
- Species names are written in Latin, but many species names are based on words from other languages, and are Latinized.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that organisms have, and always have had, their own names, rather than them being named by scientists and others.
Use the lesson resources to explain the naming process for living things used by taxonomists and other scientists.
Keywords
Taxonomist - A taxonomist is a type of scientist who identifies, classifies and describes living things.
Classify - To classify things is to sort them into groups.
Identify - To identify something is to be able to name it correctly.
Species - A species is a group of animals or plants that are similar and can have babies together.
Latin - Latin is a language that comes from the ancient Roman empire and is still commonly used by scientists and other academics.
Equipment
Access to an online translator (Latin) may be interesting to use.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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