ARTIFICIAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM: HISTORY, CONTRIBUTORS - BIOLOGY - 2024

The artificial classification system is a method by which the different organisms that exist are classified into groups according to certain typologies. For example, characteristics such as the amount of stamens or style are defined, but the evolutionary factors of each organism are not taken into account.

With the passage of time, the artificial system has been replaced by the natural classification system, since the information was more extensive and the similarities between organisms are greater as well.

Portrait of Carolus Linnaeus, one of the most important exponents of the artificial classification system. Source: Hendrik Hollander, via Wikimedia Commons.

Today, the existing biodiversity is incalculable. There is talk of a large number of species that exist around the world, counting living organisms and those that have already disappeared.

The importance of the artificial classification system lies in the need for scientists to study each type of species. Throughout history, different models of artificial systems were implanted, being Carolus Linnaeus the one who created the most popular method.

History

The first systems of classification of organisms that existed were artificial. The first proposals were born thanks to Aristotle, Pliny, John Ray or Linnaeus. Each one proposed something different.

The Greek Theophrastus was in charge of designing and exposing the ideas about the first artificial system of which there is evidence. Aristotle, for example, grouped animals according to blood type, took into account whether they were oviparous or not, and studied the details of the context in which they lived.

In the end, all the authors proposed different ways of ordering the different groups of living beings.

Contributors

Several characters were named when analyzing the development of artificial classification systems, especially with regard to plants.

Theophrastus (370-287 BC) was the first of these and John Ray during the seventeenth century continued the work of classification. Carolus Linnaeus, a century later, was one of the most important scientists on the subject.

Other authors also played an important role in the artificial system or in its future evolution to natural classification, as was the case with Dalton Hooker, Bentham, Cesalpino or Gaspard Bauhin. Andrea Cesalpino, for example, was considered during the 16th century as the first expert in taxonomy.

The use of artificial classification systems never had specific norms or rules. Its use was rather messy. It was Linnaeus who was in charge of establishing certain guidelines.

Theophrastus for example grouped groups of plants according to their habitats. Linnaeus based his classification on essential organs. Pliny explained the division of animals taking into account whether they could fly or not.

Theophrastus

He was an important naturist in Greece. His work was highly influenced by the ideas of Plato and Aristotle, as was the case with many thinkers and scientists of the time. Their artificial classification system was based on grouping or dividing the plants in four different ways, depending on the habitat they are part of.

The oldest known book on botany was Historia Plantarum, a work of his authorship. There, more than 400 plants were explained by Theophrastus.

John ray

He was a very important English botanist during the 17th century. His classification system was exposed in two of his works. He first published his ideas in 1682 and four years later expanded his analyzes in the book Historia Plantarum, which featured three different volumes and took eight years to complete.

It had many similarities with the system proposed by Theophrastus as he organized plants into herbs and trees, but with the passage of time he expanded his method of work. He slightly approximated some concepts and ideas of natural classification.

Carolus Linnaeus

The Swede had a great impact on the naturalistic movement, being considered the father of modern botany. At only 22 years old, he published his first studies on the sexuality of plants and that was the premise that supported his artificial classification system.

Although other authors had already tried to define a nomenclature, Linnaeus was the first to perfect this method of organization.

Some scholars criticize his model because it did not take into account some aspects that today are fundamental for the classification of living beings.

Among the reasons why his system was so important is that he understood that the structure of fruits and flowers was an important aspect for the organization of plants. In general, it was a very simple system and, thanks to this, it was very useful during the 18th and part of the 19th century.

End of the artificial system

The appearance of Darwin and the approach of his thoughts on the evolution of living beings made the artificial classification system lose importance and the balance leaned towards natural organization. These new methods focused on analyzing the similarities that existed between different organisms.

The studies began to focus on the analysis of the anatomy of living beings, research on archaeological remains, as well as the composition and development of embryos and biochemical processes.

Differences with the natural system

The natural and artificial systems differed in many respects. To begin with, the artificial one was a method that allowed organisms to be classified more quickly, something complicated in a natural way because external mechanisms were needed for the analysis of living beings.

With the artificial system, living beings are divided into different groups, usually the habitat is a characteristic that was taken into account in the organization. The normal thing is that organisms that did not have any type of relationship (especially at a natural level) could be observed in the same set.

Quite the opposite of what happened with the natural classification methods where living beings are grouped according to the relationship that exists between them and not the differences. Habitat is not usually a determining factor for the study, it is usually not even taken into account and it takes into account morphological characteristics to identify and form the different groups.

References

1. Jeffrey, C. (1990). An introduction to plant taxonomy. Cambridge: University Press.
2. Kumar, V. and Bathia, S. (2013). Complete Biology for Medical College Entrance Examination. 3rd ed. New Delhi: McGraw Hill Education.
3. Mauseth, J. (2016). Botany. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
4. Sivarajan, V. and Robson, N. (1991). Introduction to the principles of plant taxonomy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
5. Soni, N. (2010). Fundamentals Of Botany. Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited.