Phylum, Division, Kingdom and the Taxonomic Hierarchy
This quiz closes the course THE LIVING WORLD (Intermediate) by examining the two highest rungs of the taxonomic ladder: phylum or division and kingdom. You will test your grasp of how the classes of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals gather into phylum Chordata on the strength of the notochord and dorsal hollow neural system, and why botanists speak of divisions where zoologists speak of phyla.
You will also be tested on the logic that governs the whole hierarchy:
- Categories arranged in ascending order from species to kingdom.
- As we go higher from species to kingdom, the number of common characteristics decreases.
- Lower taxa share more characteristics; higher categories make relationships harder to determine.
- Table 1.1 placements for housefly, man, mango and wheat.
Read each question carefully. Every answer is supported by the lesson material alone.
Q1. The classes comprising fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals are grouped together into which phylum?
The lesson states that the classes comprising fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals are grouped together into phylum Chordata.
Q2. Which pair of features is chiefly cited as uniting the classes of phylum Chordata?
Based on common features like the presence of a notochord and a dorsal hollow neural system, these classes are included in phylum Chordata.
Q3. In the case of plants, classes with a few similar characters are assigned to a higher category called:
In plants, classes with a few similar characters are assigned to a higher category called Division.
Q4. All animals belonging to various phyla are assigned to the highest category called:
All animals belonging to various phyla are assigned to the highest category called Kingdom Animalia in the classification system of animals.
Q5. The Kingdom Plantae is described as distinct and comprises:
The Kingdom Plantae is distinct and comprises all plants from various divisions.
Q6. In Figure 1.1, the taxonomic categories from species to kingdom are shown in:
The taxonomic categories from species to kingdom have been shown in ascending order starting with species.
Q7. As we go higher from species to kingdom, the number of common characteristics:
As we go higher from species to kingdom, the number of common characteristics goes on decreasing.
Q8. According to the lesson, the lower the taxa:
Lower the taxa, more are the characteristics that the members within the taxon share.
Q9. Higher the category, greater is the difficulty of:
Higher the category, greater is the difficulty of determining the relationship to other taxa at the same level.
Q10. In Table 1.1, the phylum or division of man (Homo sapiens) is given as:
In Table 1.1, man (Homo sapiens) belongs to phylum Chordata.
Q11. In Table 1.1, the phylum of the housefly (Musca domestica) is:
In Table 1.1, the housefly (Musca domestica) belongs to phylum Arthropoda.
Q12. In Table 1.1, both mango (Mangifera indica) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) belong to which division?
In Table 1.1, mango and wheat both belong to the division Angiospermae.
Q13. In Table 1.1, the class of mango (Mangifera indica) is:
In Table 1.1, mango belongs to the class Dicotyledonae, while wheat belongs to Monocotyledonae.
Q14. In Table 1.1, the class of wheat (Triticum aestivum) is:
In Table 1.1, wheat belongs to the class Monocotyledonae.
Q15. In Table 1.1, the family of man (Homo sapiens) is:
In Table 1.1, the family of man is Hominidae.
Q16. In Table 1.1, the order of the housefly (Musca domestica) is:
In Table 1.1, the order of the housefly is Diptera.
Q17. Which of the following correctly gives the taxonomic categories in ascending order?
The categories from species to kingdom are shown in ascending order starting with species: Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum or Division, Kingdom.
Q18. Which statement best explains why the problem of classification becomes more complex at higher categories?
As we go higher from species to kingdom, common characteristics decrease, and greater is the difficulty of determining the relationship to other taxa at the same level; hence classification becomes more complex.
Q19. Phylum in the animal kingdom and Division in the plant kingdom describe:
Phylum and division describe the same level of the hierarchy; the terms differ because botanical and zoological traditions evolved separate vocabularies.
Q20. In Table 1.1, the genus of wheat (Triticum aestivum) is:
In Table 1.1, the genus of wheat is Triticum, just as the genus of mango is Mangifera.