Read nested classification tables and use genus and species names correctly.
Method and worked examples
Classification has nested groups. Kingdom is broader than class; class is broader than family; family is broader than genus and species. Organisms sharing a genus also share the broader family in that classification. Sharing a family alone does not make organisms the same species. Compare the narrowest shared group supplied in a table.
A scientific species name has two parts: the genus begins with a capital letter, and the second part begins lower-case. Both parts together identify the species. Common names may vary or refer to different organisms, so scientific names reduce ambiguity. A count of species describes one aspect of biodiversity, the variety of life.
Example 1
Species A and B share a genus; A and C share only a family in the table. Which pair shares the narrower group?
A and B. Genus is narrower than family in the classification hierarchy.
Example 2
In Eucalyptus globulus, which part is the genus?
Eucalyptus is the genus. Both words together form the scientific species name.
Watch out:A family can contain multiple genera and many species. Species is a much narrower group.
Nested groups and biodiversity | Year 7 Science | Ascent Arcade