Question

The main objective of taxonomy is to

• A. Discriminate among different forms of organisms.
• B. Study the various habitats of animals and to assess their geographical distribution.
• C. Provide a useful, convenient universal system with which all the information including evolutionary, anatomical and adaption about a given organism or a group of organisms may be retrieved.
• D. All of the above.

Answer 1

The correct option is D All of the above.

The main objectives of taxonomy are: (1) obtaining a suitable specimen (collecting, preserving and, when necessary, making special preparations); (2) comparing the specimen with the known range of variation of living things; (3) correctly identifying the specimen if it has been described, or preparing a description showing similarities to and differences from known forms, or, if the specimen is new, naming it according to internationally recognized codes of nomenclature; (4) determining the best position for the specimen in existing classifications and determining what revision the classification may require as a consequence of the new discovery; and (5) using available evidence to suggest the course of the specimens evolution.