Hierarchical
Classificatio
n
Hierarchical
Classification
• Hierarchical classification is a
system of organizing and
categorizing organisms into
increasingly specific groups based
on shared characteristics and
evolutionary relationships. It
arranges living organisms in a multi-
level structure, starting from the
most general category and
progressing to the most specific one.
• This system was developed by Carl
Linnaeus and forms the basis of
modern taxonomy. Each level, or
rank, in the hierarchy represents a
degree of relatedness among
organisms.
Archaea (Prokaryotic organisms living
in extreme environments.
Bacteria (Prokaryotic organisms found
in diverse habitats.)
Domain
Eukarya (Eukaryotic organisms with
membrane-bound organelles, including
animals, plants, fungi, and protists.)
Animalia - Multicellular organisms that are
heterotrophic.
Plantae - Multicellular, photosynthetic
organisms.
Fungi - Decomposers like molds, yeasts, and
Kingdom
mushrooms.
Protista - Mostly single-celled eukaryotes (e.g.,
algae, amoebas).
Monera - Prokaryotes, now divided into
Archaea and Bacteria.
Chordata - Animals with a notochord (e.g., mammals, birds, reptiles).
Arthropoda - Invertebrates with exoskeletons and segmented bodies (e.g., insects,
spiders).
Mollusca - Soft-bodied animals (e.g., snails, squids, clams).
Echinodermata - Marine animals with radial symmetry (e.g., starfish, sea urchins).
Cnidaria - Aquatic animals with stinging cells (e.g., jellyfish, corals).
Phylum
Porifera - Sponges, simple aquatic animals without true tissues.
Platyhelminthes - Flatworms.
Nematoda - Roundworms.
Annelida - Segmented worms (e.g., earthworms).
Mammalia - Warm-blooded animals with hair and mammary
glands.
Aves - Birds with feathers and beaks.
Reptilia - Cold-blooded vertebrates, including snakes, lizards, and
turtles.
Amphibia - Frogs, toads, and salamanders.
Insecta - Insects with segmented bodies and six legs.
Class
Cephalopoda - Octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish.
Crustacea - Crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
Carnivora - Meat-eating mammals (e.g., cats, dogs, bears).
Primates - Humans, monkeys, and apes.
Lepidoptera - Butterflies and moths.
Rodentia - Rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels.
Anura - Frogs and toads.
Order
Chiroptera - Bats.
Decapoda - Crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
Felidae - Cats, including lions, tigers, and
domestic cats.
Canidae - Dogs, wolves, foxes.
Hominidae - Great apes, including humans.
Nymphalidae - Brush-footed butterflies.
Family
Ursidae - Bears.
Muridae - Rodents like mice and rats.
Homo - Humans and extinct human
relatives.
Panthera - Big cats like lions (Panthera
leo) and tigers (Panthera tigris).
Canis - Dogs (Canis lupus) and wolves.
Genus
Danaus - Monarch butterflies (Danaus
plexippus).
Felis - Domestic cats (Felis catus).
Homo sapiens - Humans.
Panthera leo - Lions.
Canis lupus familiaris - Domestic dogs.
Species
Danaus plexippus - Monarch butterfly.
Felis catus - Domestic cat.
