Practice Worksheet on Taxonomy and Classification - Free Printable

Let's go through each question step by step based on the image and the information provided.

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4. Fill in the blanks:

Kingdom → ________ → Class → ________ → Genus → ________

This is asking about the taxonomic hierarchy, which goes from broadest to most specific:

1. Kingdom
2. Phylum
3. Class
4. Order
5. Family
6. Genus
7. Species

So, filling in the blanks:

> Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Genus → Species

✔ Answer:
- First blank: Phylum
- Second blank: Order
- Third blank: Species

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5. In each pair, circle the one that you would expect to find the most individual species:

We are comparing taxonomic ranks. The lower the rank (closer to "species"), the more similar organisms are and the fewer species it contains. Conversely, higher ranks include more species.

Let’s analyze each pair:

| Pair | Which has more individual species? |
|------|-----------------------------------|
| Kingdom & Genus | Kingdom – a kingdom includes many phyla, classes, etc. → many species |
| Phylum & Kingdom | Kingdom – larger than phylum |
| Class & Family | Class – class includes multiple families |
| Order & Phylum | Phylum – phylum includes many orders |
| Genus & Order | Order – order includes multiple genera |
| Phylum & Class | Phylum – phylum includes many classes |
| Order & Class | Order – order includes multiple families and genera |
| Genus & Species | Genus – genus includes multiple species |

Now, circle the one with the most individual species in each pair:

- Kingdom & Genus → ✔ Kingdom
- Phylum & Kingdom → ✔ Kingdom
- Class & Family → ✔ Class
- Order & Phylum → ✔ Phylum
- Genus & Order → ✔ Order
- Phylum & Class → ✔ Phylum
- Order & Class → ✔ Order
- Genus & Species → ✔ Genus

✔ Final Answers (circled):
- Kingdom
- Kingdom
- Class
- Phylum
- Order
- Phylum
- Order
- Genus

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6. Which three animals is the tiger most closely related to?

Look at the scientific names:

- *Panthera tigris* → Tiger
- *Panthera onca* → Jaguar
- *Panthera pardus* → Leopard
- *Panthera leo* → Lion

All of these have the same genus: *Panthera*. That means they are closely related.

Other animals:
- *Felis lybica* → African Wild Cat
- *Felis catus* → House cat
- *Canis lupus* → Wolf

So, the three animals most closely related to the tiger are those in the same genus (*Panthera*):

✔ Answer:
Jaguar, Leopard, Lion

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7. Would you expect an animal with the name *Rania onca* to look similar to a mountain lion?

First, note:
- Mountain lion = *Puma concolor*
- *Rania onca* — this is not a real scientific name, but let's analyze it.

In binomial nomenclature:
- The genus is *Rania*
- The species is *onca*

Compare to *Panthera onca* (jaguar) — *onca* is the species name.

But *Rania* is not the same as *Panthera* or *Puma*.

So:
- *Rania onca* would be in a different genus than *Puma concolor* (mountain lion).
- Different genera usually mean less similarity than within the same genus.

Also, *Panthera onca* (jaguar) is large, spotted, powerful — very different from *Puma concolor*, which is sleeker, smaller, and not in the *Panthera* genus.

So even though both have *onca* in their name, that’s just a coincidence (or perhaps a trick). But since the genus is different (*Rania* vs *Puma*), we can’t assume they’re similar.

✔ Answer:
No, because the genus *Rania* is different from *Puma*, and animals in different genera are not necessarily similar in appearance. The name *onca* might be shared, but genus determines major evolutionary relationships.

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8. Which animal is the house cat closest to?

House cat = *Felis catus*
African wild cat = *Felis lybica*

Same genus: *Felis*

Therefore, they are very closely related.

Other cats like lions, tigers, leopards are in *Panthera*, so more distantly related.

✔ Answer:
African Wild Cat

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✔ Final Answers:

4.
Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Genus → Species

5. Circle:
- Kingdom
- Kingdom
- Class
- Phylum
- Order
- Phylum
- Order
- Genus

6. Tiger is most closely related to: Jaguar, Leopard, Lion

7. No. Because *Rania onca* belongs to a different genus than the mountain lion (*Puma concolor*), and differences in genus usually indicate significant differences in physical traits and behavior.

8. The house cat is closest to: African Wild Cat

Let me know if you'd like a diagram or explanation of the taxonomy!