Taxonomy: Genetic Relationships

Genetic Relationships

Species are grouped together based on how closely they are related to each other. This type of organization is called taxonomy.  Let's use our family relationships as an example to explain how this works for species. 

Closest relatives : same species 

• • My closest relatives are in my immediate family.
  • In the same way, all individuals in a species (all house cats) are closely related to each other. 

Next closest relatives: similar types of species

• •  I am still related to my cousins and extended family, just not as closely.
  • Similarly, house cats are related to lions and tigers, just not as closely.  

Distant relatives

• • My family is from a (no longer existing) country in Eastern Europe called Galacia and I'm genetically more similar to people from that part of the world.
  • In the same way that all different types of cats are related to carnivores than to animals that chew their cud.  

Classification of species

Taxonomy is the term we use for grouping (classifying) organisms by their genetic relationships. 

Watch this video that explains the classification system for all living organisms.

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