Taxonomy Project
IN THE YEAR 2525
Humans, after hundreds of years of constant effort, have successfully polluted all bodies of water on Earth. As a result, almost all previously known species of plant, animal, and other life have become extinct. Through natural selection, genetic engineering, and selective breeding programs, a portion of the Earth has been successfully repopulated. The following organisms are all that remain:
1. Photosynthetic sun-basking sharks: Their green fins have chlorophyll to convert sunlight to energy (autotrophs)
2. Chemosynthetic goldfish that convert pollution to food (autotrophs)
3. Aquatic humanoids whose main diet is aqua-wheat and basking sharks. They have fins instead of legs (heterotrophs)
4. Aqua-wheat: one of the few plants that remain, it is similar to algae.
5. Terrestrial Humanoids with 4 arms, their diet consists of butter-roaches and fuzzy hamsters.
6. Tentacled aqua humanoids, they only feed on aqua-wheat and have tentacles for arms and legs.
7. Cockroaches that feed on humanoid waste.
8. Giant Aqua-spiders that live in water and feed on goldfish and basking sharks.
9. Green-haired rats that are photosynthetic.
10. Parasitic mosquitoes that feed off any humanoid
11. Ten-legged fleas that live on the photosynthetic rats and drink blood.
12. Poison Grass - this plant is a hybrid between grass and poison ivy. The plants are toxic to almost everything (autotrophs)
13. Fuzzy hamsters with green hair that use the sunlight to make their food, thought to be related to the rats.
14. Butter-roaches: genetic engineering created these butterfly-like creatures from cockroaches. Butter-roaches eat poison grass. YOUR ASSIGNMENT
1) As an alien taxonomist, it is your responsibility to classify these existing organism types. a) For each of the 14 organisms, complete the data table by classifying them as autotrouphs/heterotrophs AND THEN as producers/consumers, AND THEN as herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. (25 points). b) Create Latin-sounding names for each organism. Remember, these will be scientific names and will include the genus and species classification. Written in this form: Genus species (Use the Latin suffix chart below to help). (10 points) c) Create a taxonomic scheme using only kingdom, phylum, genus, and species. The intermediate categories have been eliminated since the total number of species has been drastically reduced. (Two Kingdoms are recommended). Use the common name of each organism to identify where they are placed on your chart. (10 points) 2) Make a drawing of how you think each organism would look. Write the number and the name (from 1b) next to the drawing. Must represent an accurate physical appearance based on the description of the organism. (15 points) 3) Prepare a dichotomous key for these organisms so that your fellow aliens can identify them when they come to Earth for their summer vacations. Remember that a dichotomous key is based on APPEARANCE of the organisms. Use your drawings to make the key. (35 points) 4) EXTRA CREDIT: Diagram a food chain using the organisms - at least four of these organisms should be used in your diagram. It must be done on 8 ½ X 11 printer paper and have color – label each organism with its common name and student made scientific name (Genus and species). (10 points extra credit)
Latin Suffixes to use in naming your organisms:
ish origin, nature, resembling al relating to an, ian native of, relating to ary, ery, ory relating to, quality, place where cian possessing a specific skill or art cy action, function cule, ling very small ary, ery, ory relating to, quality, place where ic nature of, like ist one who, that which ite nature of, quality of, mineral product ity, ty state of, quality ive causing, making Taxonomy Project Data Table (Step 1a and 1b).
Autotroph or Herbivore, Carnivore, or Latin Sounding Name – Organism Name Producer or Consumer Heterotroph Omnivore Genus and Species Example: 1. Sun-basking Shark Autotroph Producer (As a producer, it would not be listed here) Plantish Shark 2. Chemosynthetic goldfish
3. Aquatic humanoids
4. Aqua-wheat
5. Terrestrial Humanoids
6. Tentacled aqua humanoids
7. Cockroaches
8. Giant Aqua-spiders
9. Green-haired rats
10. Parasitic Mosquitoes
11. Ten-legged fleas
12. Poison Grass
13. Fuzzy hamsters
14. Butter-roaches Taxonomic Scheme (Step 1c) Directions: Classify each organism into Kingdom, Phylum, Genus, and Species for each of the 14 organisms. The name of the kingdom and phylum are student made. (HINT: The genus and species can be copied from the DATA TABLE)
Organism Name Kingdom Phylum Genus Species
1. Sun-basking Shark
2. Chemosynthetic goldfish
3. Aquatic humanoids
4. Aqua-wheat
5. Terrestrial Humanoids
6. Tentacled aqua humanoids
7. Cockroaches
8. Giant Aqua-spiders
9. Green-haired rats
10. Parasitic Mosquitoes
11. Ten-legged fleas
12. Poison Grass
13. Fuzzy hamsters
14. Butter-roaches Illustrate your organisms here (one per box): (Step #2) Draw each organism in pencil and then go over them in darker ink or marker. The number in each box matches to the numbers of the organisms in the data table.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. Dichotomous Key Activity: (From #3) Directions: Make a dichotomous key to identify all 14 organisms. Remember that each step in the key has only two decisions and all classification is based on the organism’s appearance and NOT on the environment of the organism.
1a ______Go to ______
1b ______Go to ______
2a ______
2b ______
3a ______
3b ______
4a ______
4b ______
5a ______
5b ______
6a ______
6b ______
7a ______7b ______
8a ______
8b ______
9a ______
9b ______
10a ______
10b ______
11a ______
11b ______
12a ______
12b ______
13a ______
13b ______
14a ______
14b ______15a ______
15b ______
16a ______
16b ______
17a ______
17b ______
18a ______
18b ______
19a ______
19b ______
20a ______
20b ______TAXONOMY PROJECT RUBRIC
Your name: 1. ______
Partner’s name: 2. ______
ASSIGNMENT Total Possible POINTS Self-assessment of Points EARNED Points EARNED 1. Complete data table 25 2. 14 Scientific names 15 3. Taxonomic scheme 10 4. Drawings of organisms 15 5. Dichotomous Key 35 Total: 100