Too many to list
Six animals at a zoo. How would you sort them?
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The rule
Sort the animals by one feature, such as what they eat. A feature is something you can check about a living thing.
Classification means sorting living things into groups by shared features. Change the feature, and the groups change.
The huge variety of living things is called biodiversity. Classification groups living things so we can study the variety more easily.
Step 1 of 4
- Many separate living things, each on its own.
- A shared feature draws a box around some of them.
- A second feature splits one box again.
- Groups replace one long list.
One animal, many groups
| Feature | One group | The other groups |
|---|---|---|
| What it eats | Eagle, tiger, shark, dolphin (flesh) | Parrot, cow (plants) |
| How it moves | Eagle, parrot (flies) | Tiger, cow (walks); shark, dolphin (swims) |
| Feeds its young milk | Tiger, cow, dolphin | Eagle, parrot, shark |
Groups help you find a living thing fast. Some groups show which kinds are close relatives. Classification also gives scientists one shared name for each kind. It also helps protect living things in danger.