Natural History: Classification

Another word for classification – particularly the classification of living things – is taxonomy. In the words of Wikipedia: "Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon) and these groups are given a taxonomic rank; groups of a given rank can be aggregated to form a more inclusive group of higher rank, thus creating a taxonomic hierarchy."

I was once taught a very useful mnemonic for remembering the ranks in this hierarchy, and I think this is a very good place to start:

There are other taxonomical ranks, but these are the main ones.  The words in bold type in the above table show, as an example, the classification of the Bengal tiger.

A group of organisms that consists of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – representing a single 'branch' on the 'tree of life'		Clade
Plural of genus		Genera

In the first table below, each answer is the name of the taxon. Often (but not always), the question would be in the form "To what [taxon] [do or does] the ... belong?"

Some commentators (e.g. those appointed in Stockport Quiz League) will insist on the scientific name for the relevant taxon being accepted as a correct answer. My candid opinion is that anyone who gives the scientific name as an answer – when there is a common (or English) name – is just showing off, and shouldn't be allowed the points; but you do sometimes get asked for the scientific name of a family or genus (or given the scientific name and asked for the common name). So even if only because it's a good learning opportunity, I've included the scientific names as well.

Where the common and scientific name for a grouping are more or less the same (because the common name is basically an anglicisation of the scientific name), I've generally just given the common name. Where the common name is blank, this generally means that there isn't one (or I haven't been able to find one).

Unless otherwise stated (or unless I've made a mistake), the taxon in question is a family.

			Common (English) name		Scientific (Latin) name
The genus that includes thorntrees and wattles			Acacia
Mollymawks are a genus of			Albatrosses		Diomedeidae
Spirogyra, seaweeds (informal group of organisms)			Algae
Frogs, toads, newts (class of vertebrates)			Amphibians
Order of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans					Anseriformes
Gnu (wildebeeste)			Antelope		Bovidae
Snapdragon is the common name for plants of the genus			Antirrhinum
Carrot, celery, parsley, parsnip, cow parsley, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, giant hogweed, and the hemlocks					Apiaceae or Umbelliferae
Spiders, scorpions, mites (class of invertebrates)			Arachnids
Insects, arachnids, crustaceans (phylum of animals)			Arthropods
Hyacinth, bluebell, lily of the valley			Asparagus		Asparagaceae
Michaelmas daisy: genus			Aster
Scientific (Latin) name for the class of vertebrates that all birds belong to					Aves (EY–vees)
Puffin, guillemots (including the razorbill)			Auk		Alcidae
Harebell or Scottish bluebell			Bellflowers		Campanula
Clams, oysters, cockles, mussels, scallops (class of molluscs)			Bivalves
Yellowhammer (genus)			Bunting		Emberiza
Delphinium (common name larkspur); clematis, lesser celandine			Buttercup		Ranunculaceae
Alpaca, llama, vicuna, guanaco (genus)			Camel		Camelus
Red, green and Cayenne peppers (genus of the potato family)			Capsicums
Octopuses, squids, cuttlefish (class of molluscs)			Cephalopods
Whales, dolphins, porpoises (order of mammals)			Cetacea
Bats (order of mammals)			Chiroptera
Beetles (order of insects)			Coleoptera
Pigeons, doves, dodo					Columbidae
Goldfish, golden orfe			Carp		Cyprinidae
Saffron: genus			Crocus
Chough, jackdaw, jay, magpie, raven, rook			Crow		Corvidae
Crabs, lobsters, shrimps, sand–hoppers, woodlice, water–fleas, barnacles (group of arthropods)			Crustaceans
Roadrunner			Cuckoo		Cuculidae
Carnation, pink, sweet William: genus					Dianthus
Starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers (phylum of animals)			Echinoderms
Kestrels, hobbies, merlin (genus of birds)			Falcons		Falco
Banyan (trees)			Fig		Ficus
Brambling, crossbill, grosbeak, linnet, serin (genus of eight species, including the canaries)			Finch		Fringillidae
Dab			(Righteye) flounder		Pleuronectidae
Slugs, snails and shellfish (class of molluscs)			Gastropods
Onion, leek, chives, scallion, shallot	Genus		Garlic		Allium
	Family		Amaryllis		Amaryllidaceae
	Order		Asparagus		Asparagales
Bamboo			Grass		Pocaceae
Ptarmigan, capercaillie (subfamily)			Grouse		Tetraoninae
Bittern, egret			Heron		Ardeidae
Freesia, gladiolus			Iris		Iridaceae
Kookaburra			Kingfisher		Alcedinidae
The harlequin or multicoloured Asian is an invasive species of (family of insects)			Ladybirds		Coccinelidae
Aye–aye (superfamily)			Lemur		Lemuroidea
Butterflies and moths (order of insects)					Lepidoptera
Tulip			Lily		Liliaceae
Kangaroos and wallabies			Macropods
Pennyroyal: genus			Mint		Lamiaceae
Gastropods, cephalopods, bivalves (phylum of invertebrates)			Molluscs
Meerkat or suricate			Mongooses		Herpestidae
Daffodil, jonquil: genus (family Amaryllidaceae, order Asparagales – see above)			Narcissus
Watercress: genus			Nasturtium
Worms			Nematodes
Tobacco: genus					Nicotiana
Whip–poor–will, chuck–will's–widow			Nightjars		Caprimulgidae
Obsolete (i.e. no longer recognised) order of mammals: includes the elephant, rhinoceros and hippopotamus; name comes from the Greek for 'thick skin'			Pachyderms
Genus whose only species are the chimpanzee and bonobo (named after a Greek god)					Pan
Budgerigar, lovebirds			(Old world) parrots		Psittaculidae
Gorse (a.k.a. whin or furse)			Legume, pea, or bean		Fabaceae
Quail, partridge, peafowl (peacock and peahen), francolin			Pheasant		Phasianidae
Water, tree, meadow and tawny are four of the many species of (genus of birds)			Pipit		Anthus
Pimpernel			Primrose		Primulaceae
Common name for shrubs in the genus Lugustrum			Privet
Plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, almonds	Genus				Prunus
	Family		Rose		Rosaceae
Moorhen, coot, corncrake			Rails		Rallidae
Ostriches, emu, cassowaries, rheas, kiwi (group of birds – all flightless)			Ratites
Azalea	Genus		Rhododendron
	Family		Heather		Ericaceae
Apple, pear, raspberry, strawberry			Rose		Rosaceae
Trout, grayling, char, sockeye			Salmon		Salmonidae
Greenshank, redshank, curlews, godwits, snipe, turnstones			Sandpiper		Scolopacidae
Hippocampus is the scientific name for (genus of fishes)			Seahorses
Chipmunk, marmot			Squirrel		Sciuridae
Myna (Mynah bird)			Starling		Sturnidae
Adjutant birds, including the marabou			Storks		Ciconiidae
Nightingale, robin, blackbird, redstart and ring ouzel			Thrush		Turdidae
Also the redwing and fieldfare – both winter visitors to Britain (and much of Europe)
Bears					Ursidae
Otters, ferrets, martens, minks, wolverines; the badger is the largest member			Weasel		Mustelidae
Wryneck (genus Jynx)			Woodpecker		Picidae

The following, I think, may be better asked the other way round (for example, "What type of insects belong to the genus with the scientific or Latin name Apis?"):

Tubulidentata (order of mammals, in which the only living species is Orycteropus afer)		Aardvark
Fraxinus (genus of trees)		Ash
Apis (family of insects)		Bees
Betula (genus of trees)		Birch
Bombus (genus of insects, in the family Apidae)		Bumblebee
Diptera (order of insects)		Flies
Common name for plants in the genus Solidago		Goldenrod
Caelifera (family of insects)		Grasshoppers
Laridae (family of birds)		Gulls
Lampyridae (family of insects)		Fireflies, glow–worms
Coccinelidae (family of insects)		Ladybirds
Culicidae (family of insects)		Mosquitoes
Quercus (genus of trees)		Oak
Strigidae (family of birds)		Owls
Porifera (phylum of animals)		Sponges
Lathyrus (genus of common garden flowers)		Sweet pea
Chelonia or Testudines (order of reptiles)		Turtles, tortoises and terrapins
Salix (genus of trees)		Willows

© Haydn Thompson 2017–24