How scientists are classifying life?
✅ It is taxonomy that is essential to classify living organisms into different groups and subgroups.
✅ In simple words, the definition of taxonomy is a branch of science that deals primarily with the description, identification, nomenclature, and classification of organisms.
✅ The term “taxonomy” was developed from two Greek words, “taxis,” meaning arrangement, and “nomia,” meaning distribution or method.
✅ There are in fact different definitions of taxonomy, and based on them, taxonomy is considered a sub-branch of systematics or a synonym of the latter term. It is also thought that biological nomenclature is either a part of taxonomy or a unit of systematics.
ℹ️ Systematics is the consideration to identify the taxonomy of organisms and their nomenclature, classification based on their natural relatedness, and the analysis of variation and evolution among the taxa.
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✅ It is taxonomy that is essential to classify living organisms into different groups and subgroups.
✅ In simple words, the definition of taxonomy is a branch of science that deals primarily with the description, identification, nomenclature, and classification of organisms.
✅ The term “taxonomy” was developed from two Greek words, “taxis,” meaning arrangement, and “nomia,” meaning distribution or method.
✅ There are in fact different definitions of taxonomy, and based on them, taxonomy is considered a sub-branch of systematics or a synonym of the latter term. It is also thought that biological nomenclature is either a part of taxonomy or a unit of systematics.
ℹ️ Systematics is the consideration to identify the taxonomy of organisms and their nomenclature, classification based on their natural relatedness, and the analysis of variation and evolution among the taxa.
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Who were ancient taxonomists?
ℹ️Taxonomists are researchers/biologists who analyze the relationship among organisms and aggregate them into groups.
Examples of earlier taxonomy are shown on ancient Egypt’s walls about medicinal plants by early Egyptian taxonomists ⬆️.
Aristotle (384-322 BC)⬆️, ancient Greek polymath, was able to classify organisms for the first time and then grouped them into two major categories, i.e., plants and animals. Several groups of animals proposed by him, such as Anhaima, Enhaima, sharks, and cetaceans, are still used to this day. Anhaima includes animals with no blood (now referred to as invertebrates), and Enhaima - animals with blood (vertebrates).
Theophrastus (371-287 BC)⬆️ was Aristotle’s student and is often called the “Father of Botany”. He continued the classification process and mentioned 500 plants and their uses in his book, Historia Plantarum. Some plant groups, such as Cornus, Crocus, and Narcissus, can be traced back to his findings.
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ℹ️Taxonomists are researchers/biologists who analyze the relationship among organisms and aggregate them into groups.
Examples of earlier taxonomy are shown on ancient Egypt’s walls about medicinal plants by early Egyptian taxonomists ⬆️.
Aristotle (384-322 BC)⬆️, ancient Greek polymath, was able to classify organisms for the first time and then grouped them into two major categories, i.e., plants and animals. Several groups of animals proposed by him, such as Anhaima, Enhaima, sharks, and cetaceans, are still used to this day. Anhaima includes animals with no blood (now referred to as invertebrates), and Enhaima - animals with blood (vertebrates).
Theophrastus (371-287 BC)⬆️ was Aristotle’s student and is often called the “Father of Botany”. He continued the classification process and mentioned 500 plants and their uses in his book, Historia Plantarum. Some plant groups, such as Cornus, Crocus, and Narcissus, can be traced back to his findings.
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How classification system of all matter and life was viewed in the European middle ages?
Medieval thinkers of Europe took account of organisms’ classification on a philosophical and theological basis.
The classification systems used then were Aristotelian systems, including the Scala Naturae (the Great Chain of Being/Existence), a nature ladder used to order organisms in one unit.
The concept of the Great chain of being/existence was viewed by medieval thinkers of Europe, e.g. by Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), as an immutable order given by God.
In the hierarchy of the Great chain of existence, God is at the top, above the angels. Angels, like God, are wholly spirits, have no physical body, and are therefore immutable. Underneath is man, composed of both spirit and matter. They are not permanent in nature as they change and disappear. Below are animals and plants. At the bottom is the mineral matter of the earth itself.
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Medieval thinkers of Europe took account of organisms’ classification on a philosophical and theological basis.
The classification systems used then were Aristotelian systems, including the Scala Naturae (the Great Chain of Being/Existence), a nature ladder used to order organisms in one unit.
The concept of the Great chain of being/existence was viewed by medieval thinkers of Europe, e.g. by Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), as an immutable order given by God.
In the hierarchy of the Great chain of existence, God is at the top, above the angels. Angels, like God, are wholly spirits, have no physical body, and are therefore immutable. Underneath is man, composed of both spirit and matter. They are not permanent in nature as they change and disappear. Below are animals and plants. At the bottom is the mineral matter of the earth itself.
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Who contributed to modern taxonomy?
Here are some researchers who made important contributions to taxonomy.
Andrea Cesalpino (1519-1603) ⬆️, an Italian researcher and philosopher, is often considered to be the first-ever taxonomist in history. He described more than 1500 species of plants in his writings ⬆️. The largest families of plants known as Asteraceae and Brassicaceae, classified by him, are still used today.
Augustus Rivinus (1600-1656), a German physician and botanist, developed a method of better ways of classifying plants and introduced the category of order.
The English naturalist John Ray (1627-1705) produced more complex classification and described details of around 18,000 plants.
In France Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708) defined and classified 9000 species in 698 genera.
ℹ️ The development of taxonomy is sometimes credited to more sophisticated optical lenses, which allowed the morphology of organisms to be studied in much greater detail.
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Here are some researchers who made important contributions to taxonomy.
Andrea Cesalpino (1519-1603) ⬆️, an Italian researcher and philosopher, is often considered to be the first-ever taxonomist in history. He described more than 1500 species of plants in his writings ⬆️. The largest families of plants known as Asteraceae and Brassicaceae, classified by him, are still used today.
Augustus Rivinus (1600-1656), a German physician and botanist, developed a method of better ways of classifying plants and introduced the category of order.
The English naturalist John Ray (1627-1705) produced more complex classification and described details of around 18,000 plants.
In France Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708) defined and classified 9000 species in 698 genera.
ℹ️ The development of taxonomy is sometimes credited to more sophisticated optical lenses, which allowed the morphology of organisms to be studied in much greater detail.
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Who is the “father of modern taxonomy”?
The Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) ⬆️, also known as Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus, is often called the “father of modern taxonomy”.
With his major works Species Plantarum in 1753, and Systema Naturae 10th Edition in 1758 ⬆️, he revolutionized modern taxonomy.
His works implemented a standardized binomial naming system for animals and plants, which proved to be an elegant solution to a chaotic and disorganized taxonomic literature. He not only introduced the standard of class, order, genus, and species, but also made it possible to identify plants and animals from his book, by using the smaller parts of the flower.
Thus the Linnaean system was born.
Today, every plant or animal name published before 1753 or 1758, respectively, is called "prelinnaean" and is thus not valid. Also early names published by Linnaeus himself are "prelinnaean".
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The Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) ⬆️, also known as Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus, is often called the “father of modern taxonomy”.
With his major works Species Plantarum in 1753, and Systema Naturae 10th Edition in 1758 ⬆️, he revolutionized modern taxonomy.
His works implemented a standardized binomial naming system for animals and plants, which proved to be an elegant solution to a chaotic and disorganized taxonomic literature. He not only introduced the standard of class, order, genus, and species, but also made it possible to identify plants and animals from his book, by using the smaller parts of the flower.
Thus the Linnaean system was born.
Today, every plant or animal name published before 1753 or 1758, respectively, is called "prelinnaean" and is thus not valid. Also early names published by Linnaeus himself are "prelinnaean".
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How many ranks in modern taxonomy?
The process of placing or grouping organisms in different taxonomic groups is known as the taxonomy hierarchy. These levels, also called taxonomic ranks, formed a structure similar to the ladder or pyramid ⬆️.
The modern taxonomic classification system has 8️⃣ main levels
🔺Domain – highest level constitutes three domains of life: Eukaryota, Archaea, and Bacteria.
🔺Kingdom – the second level constitutes seven kingdoms: Animalia, Plantae, Monera, Fungi, Chromista, Protozoa, Archaea.
🔺Phylum – a group of related classes: 109 Phyla in all kingdoms.
🔺Class – a group of related orders: 108 classes in animals.
🔺Order – a group of related families: the total number ranges from 420-450.
🔺Family – a group of related genera (data can vary in different sources)
🔺Genus – a group of related species (data can vary in different sources)
🔺Species – a group of similar organisms (data can vary in different sources)
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The process of placing or grouping organisms in different taxonomic groups is known as the taxonomy hierarchy. These levels, also called taxonomic ranks, formed a structure similar to the ladder or pyramid ⬆️.
The modern taxonomic classification system has 8️⃣ main levels
🔺Domain – highest level constitutes three domains of life: Eukaryota, Archaea, and Bacteria.
🔺Kingdom – the second level constitutes seven kingdoms: Animalia, Plantae, Monera, Fungi, Chromista, Protozoa, Archaea.
🔺Phylum – a group of related classes: 109 Phyla in all kingdoms.
🔺Class – a group of related orders: 108 classes in animals.
🔺Order – a group of related families: the total number ranges from 420-450.
🔺Family – a group of related genera (data can vary in different sources)
🔺Genus – a group of related species (data can vary in different sources)
🔺Species – a group of similar organisms (data can vary in different sources)
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Why the biological species concept can be riddled with controversy?
✍️In biology, species is defined as the lowest taxonomic rank consisting of organisms that share common characteristics and generally are capable of reproducing to produce fertile offspring.
❗️Recognized by Charles Darwin, the “species problem” is that many organisms do not fit into this definition ⬇️
✔️Asexual organisms have only one parent, so they do not reproduce with each other.
✔️Some organisms can reproduce with similar species.
✔️There can be significant morphological variation between the sexes and even individuals of the same species, making it a very subjective way of classifying life.
Although modern technologies, like genetic analysis, help today’s taxonomists to classify species, all these “rule breakers” make it difficult to clearly define the concept until now.
ℹ️The word species is derived from a Latin word “specere”, which means “to look”, “kind”, “appearance”, “form” (of something).
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✍️In biology, species is defined as the lowest taxonomic rank consisting of organisms that share common characteristics and generally are capable of reproducing to produce fertile offspring.
❗️Recognized by Charles Darwin, the “species problem” is that many organisms do not fit into this definition ⬇️
✔️Asexual organisms have only one parent, so they do not reproduce with each other.
✔️Some organisms can reproduce with similar species.
✔️There can be significant morphological variation between the sexes and even individuals of the same species, making it a very subjective way of classifying life.
Although modern technologies, like genetic analysis, help today’s taxonomists to classify species, all these “rule breakers” make it difficult to clearly define the concept until now.
ℹ️The word species is derived from a Latin word “specere”, which means “to look”, “kind”, “appearance”, “form” (of something).
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What is the role of evolution in taxonomy?
ℹ️ Evolution is a progressive change that proceeds through genetic variation, natural selection, and genetic drift.
Through evolution, living things evolve to thrive and adapt to the ever-changing environment. A certain group of organisms can evolve so markedly that they diverge into different groups within the group, forming new species.
ℹ️ The process of the formation of new species is called speciation.
📌Modern taxonomy describes evolutionary links.
📌A taxonomic group must always refer to a set of organisms that descended from the same ancestor, at some point in evolutionary history. Species within the same genus all share a common ancestor. The same goes for each genus within one family and so on.
📌According to modern taxonomists, taxonomy is nowadays so intertwined with evolutionary theory, that it can be difficult to delineate when a researcher's "doing taxonomy" and when they're "doing evolutionary biology".
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ℹ️ Evolution is a progressive change that proceeds through genetic variation, natural selection, and genetic drift.
Through evolution, living things evolve to thrive and adapt to the ever-changing environment. A certain group of organisms can evolve so markedly that they diverge into different groups within the group, forming new species.
ℹ️ The process of the formation of new species is called speciation.
📌Modern taxonomy describes evolutionary links.
📌A taxonomic group must always refer to a set of organisms that descended from the same ancestor, at some point in evolutionary history. Species within the same genus all share a common ancestor. The same goes for each genus within one family and so on.
📌According to modern taxonomists, taxonomy is nowadays so intertwined with evolutionary theory, that it can be difficult to delineate when a researcher's "doing taxonomy" and when they're "doing evolutionary biology".
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Can Artificial Intelligence create images as realistic as photos?
🔺 An artificial intelligence (AI) image generator from text is an AI-powered tool that takes a text prompt, processes it, and creates an image that best matches the description given in the text prompt.
❗️ℹ️ AI image generation is completely different from sourcing. While image-sourcing tools can be used to search and download existing images, an AI image generator creates entirely new images that do not exist in reality.
🔺 The idea of generating images from text using AI has been around for several decades. But the recent advancements in the field of text-to-image generation have made it possible to develop more sophisticated tools that are able to create high-quality images with different art styles. This has opened up a world of possibilities for anyone working with visual content.
⬆️ Look at these hyperrealistic images created using latest versions of AI image generators.
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🔺 An artificial intelligence (AI) image generator from text is an AI-powered tool that takes a text prompt, processes it, and creates an image that best matches the description given in the text prompt.
❗️ℹ️ AI image generation is completely different from sourcing. While image-sourcing tools can be used to search and download existing images, an AI image generator creates entirely new images that do not exist in reality.
🔺 The idea of generating images from text using AI has been around for several decades. But the recent advancements in the field of text-to-image generation have made it possible to develop more sophisticated tools that are able to create high-quality images with different art styles. This has opened up a world of possibilities for anyone working with visual content.
⬆️ Look at these hyperrealistic images created using latest versions of AI image generators.
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Why hibernating bears do not get blood clots?
🐻 Despite spending several months hibernating in frigid temperatures, brown bears (Ursus arctos) remain remarkably healthy. Bears rarely suffer from maladies such as blood clots, which can occur in humans experiencing only temporary bouts of immobility and can be deadly.
✍️According to a last study, a heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) helps the hibernating bears avoid dangerous clotting.
ℹ️HSP47 recruits an enzyme called thrombin that helps platelets stick together and form clots.
🐻In active bears, HSP47 helps patch up cuts and stop bleeding. But hibernating bears, which are safely snug in their dens, produce 55 times fewer HSP47 than active bears.
🤔Generally, HSP47 proteins may be a mechanism used across mammals to prevent clotting during prolonged periods of rest.
❗️Considered one of the most important in 2023, this finding can inspire fine-tuned treatments for preventing clotting in patients experiencing temporary immobility.
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🐻 Despite spending several months hibernating in frigid temperatures, brown bears (Ursus arctos) remain remarkably healthy. Bears rarely suffer from maladies such as blood clots, which can occur in humans experiencing only temporary bouts of immobility and can be deadly.
✍️According to a last study, a heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) helps the hibernating bears avoid dangerous clotting.
ℹ️HSP47 recruits an enzyme called thrombin that helps platelets stick together and form clots.
🐻In active bears, HSP47 helps patch up cuts and stop bleeding. But hibernating bears, which are safely snug in their dens, produce 55 times fewer HSP47 than active bears.
🤔Generally, HSP47 proteins may be a mechanism used across mammals to prevent clotting during prolonged periods of rest.
❗️Considered one of the most important in 2023, this finding can inspire fine-tuned treatments for preventing clotting in patients experiencing temporary immobility.
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What is the mission that reached the dark side of the moon?
🇮🇳🚀Launched in July 2023 ⬆️, India's Chandrayaan-3 moon lander was the first mission to reach the lunar south pole – an unexplored region where reservoirs of frozen water are believed to exist.
✅ Although the spacecraft went dormant after two weeks of the landing, it did what it was supposed to do -- successfully detected lunar surface sulfur and demonstrated the moon's soil as an effective insulator.
❗️ According to scientific community, the success of Chandrayaan-3 is one of the biggest science stories of 2023.
🚀💰🫰The mission showed the world that not only is India a major player in space, but that a moon lander can be launched successfully for $75m, which is much cheaper than most other countries’ budgets for a moon mission.
🌌 Scientists believe that this accomplishment, marked by diversity, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendly technology, hints at a transformative era in space exploration on the horizon.
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🇮🇳🚀Launched in July 2023 ⬆️, India's Chandrayaan-3 moon lander was the first mission to reach the lunar south pole – an unexplored region where reservoirs of frozen water are believed to exist.
✅ Although the spacecraft went dormant after two weeks of the landing, it did what it was supposed to do -- successfully detected lunar surface sulfur and demonstrated the moon's soil as an effective insulator.
❗️ According to scientific community, the success of Chandrayaan-3 is one of the biggest science stories of 2023.
🚀💰🫰The mission showed the world that not only is India a major player in space, but that a moon lander can be launched successfully for $75m, which is much cheaper than most other countries’ budgets for a moon mission.
🌌 Scientists believe that this accomplishment, marked by diversity, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendly technology, hints at a transformative era in space exploration on the horizon.
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What animals can have “virgin births”?
📍 The vast majority of animals need to breed to reproduce. However, a small subset of animals can have offspring without mating.
📍 The process, called parthenogenesis (comes from two Greek roots that literally translate to “virgin creation”), allows creatures to have so-called “virgin births.”
📍 In animals, the embryo develops from an unfertilized egg.
📍 Parthenogenesis occurs in many types of invertebrates including scorpions, nematodes, mites, water fleas, wasps, some bees, and other insects.
📍 Parthenogenesis has been observed in more than 80 vertebrate species, about half of which are fish or lizards. It’s rare that complex vertebrates such as sharks, snakes, and large lizards rely only on asexual reproduction.
❗️ In 2023, pathogenesis was for the first time recorded in a New World/American crocodile ⬆️ at a park in Costa Rica. According to researchers, this is one of the most astonishing discoveries of 2023.
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📍 The vast majority of animals need to breed to reproduce. However, a small subset of animals can have offspring without mating.
📍 The process, called parthenogenesis (comes from two Greek roots that literally translate to “virgin creation”), allows creatures to have so-called “virgin births.”
📍 In animals, the embryo develops from an unfertilized egg.
📍 Parthenogenesis occurs in many types of invertebrates including scorpions, nematodes, mites, water fleas, wasps, some bees, and other insects.
📍 Parthenogenesis has been observed in more than 80 vertebrate species, about half of which are fish or lizards. It’s rare that complex vertebrates such as sharks, snakes, and large lizards rely only on asexual reproduction.
❗️ In 2023, pathogenesis was for the first time recorded in a New World/American crocodile ⬆️ at a park in Costa Rica. According to researchers, this is one of the most astonishing discoveries of 2023.
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What are the earliest known fortresses in the world?
❗️In 2023, researchers have learned that the earliest known fortresses in the world were built by Neolithic hunter-gatherers around 6000 B.C. in the taiga of western Siberia (modern Russia🇷🇺).
✔️Archaeologists have long been aware that Indigenous people in the region lived in fortified settlements defended by palisades, banks, and ditches, but believed such sites dated to no earlier than the early Iron Age, around 1000 B.C.
✔️New radiocarbon dating of 20 fortified taiga settlements ⬆️ showed that the earliest sites were built some 8,000 years ago, making them the earliest scientifically dated examples of such fortresses in the world.
ℹ️ According to scientists, during the Neolithic period, the number of people living in the taiga zone of western Siberia increased dramatically due to newly mild climatic conditions, and the Indigenous people lived in fortresses because they could be attacked by their neighbors at any moment.
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❗️In 2023, researchers have learned that the earliest known fortresses in the world were built by Neolithic hunter-gatherers around 6000 B.C. in the taiga of western Siberia (modern Russia🇷🇺).
✔️Archaeologists have long been aware that Indigenous people in the region lived in fortified settlements defended by palisades, banks, and ditches, but believed such sites dated to no earlier than the early Iron Age, around 1000 B.C.
✔️New radiocarbon dating of 20 fortified taiga settlements ⬆️ showed that the earliest sites were built some 8,000 years ago, making them the earliest scientifically dated examples of such fortresses in the world.
ℹ️ According to scientists, during the Neolithic period, the number of people living in the taiga zone of western Siberia increased dramatically due to newly mild climatic conditions, and the Indigenous people lived in fortresses because they could be attacked by their neighbors at any moment.
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