Systematics: Human beings were, since long, not only interested in knowing more about different kinds of organisms and their diversities, but also the relationships among them. This branch of study was referred to as systematic.

History of Systematics

The word systematic is derived from the Latin word ‘systema’ which means systematic arrangement of organisms. Linnaeus used Systema Naturae as the title of his publication.

The scope of systematic was later enlarged to include identification, nomenclature and classification. Systematics takes into account evolutionary relationships between organisms.

According to Blackwelder and Boyden (1952), “systematic is the entire field dealing with the kind of animals, their distinctions, classification, and evolution.

Simpson (1961) defines systematic as “The scientific study which deals with kinds and diversity of organisms and any or all relationships among them’

According to Blackwelder (1967), systematics is that science which includes both taxonomy and classification, and all other aspects of dealing with kinds of organisms and the data accumulated about them.

The major differences between taxonomy and systematic can be summarized as follows:

Taxonomy is the most important branch of systematic and thus systematics is a broader area than taxonomy.

1. Taxonomy is concerned with nomenclature, description, classification and identification of a species, but systematics is important to provide layout for all those taxonomic functions.
2. Evolutionary history of a species is studied under systematics but not in taxonomy.
3. The environmental factors are directly related with systematics but in taxonomy it is indirectly related.
4. Taxonomy is subjected to change in course of time, but systematics is not changed ifit was properly done.

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By Team Learning Mantras