Most people would call it a “field mouse,” but a scientist would ask, “Was it Peromyscus maniculatus? Or Peromyscus leucopus?” As a biologist, I use these seemingly odd names myself and help my ...

Language changes all the time. Words get new meanings. New words get made up. I talked about it with my friend Rich Zack. He’s an insect scientist at Washington State University. He does taxonomy.

Humans make stuff up—including the names and classifications of living things. But those categories are still useful. In this episode of Crash Course Botany, we’ll explore how taxonomy and systematics ...

What should you call that bird? You couldn't go wrong with "dinosaur," taxonomists say. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. If you ...

Taxonomy is the science that attempts to categorise the many millions of species on Earth. Find out how to define taxonomy, what taxonomists do and why classifying life is so important. The definition ...