![]() ![]() Short DNA barcodes, about 700 nucleotides in length, can be quickly processed from thousands of specimens and unambiguously analyzed by computer programs.ĭNA barcoding revealed that what was once thought to be one species of butterfly is really ten species with caterpillars that eat different plants. Just as the unique pattern of bars in a universal product code (UPC) identifies each consumer product, a “DNA barcode” is a unique pattern of DNA sequence that can potentially identify each living thing. Now, DNA barcodes allow non-experts to objectively identify species – even from small, damaged, or industrially processed material. Differentiating subtle anatomical differences between closely related species requires the subjective judgment of a highly trained specialist – and few are being produced in colleges today. Specimens must be carefully collected and handled to preserve their distinguishing features. Most of these have not yet been identified.Ĭlassical taxonomy falls short in this race to catalog biological diversity before it disappears. This means that thousands of plants and animals are lost each year. Scientists agree that the yearly rate of extinction has increased from about one species per million to 100-1,000 per million. Less than two million of the estimated 5-50 million plant and animal species have been identified. We know very little about the diversity of plants and animals – let alone microbes – living in many unique ecosystems on earth. Identifying organisms has grown in importance as we monitor the biological effects of global climate change and attempt to preserve species diversity in the face of accelerating habitat destruction. Carl Linneas formalized biological classification with his system of binomial nomenclature that assigns each organism a genus and species name. Taxonomy, the science of classifying living things according to shared features, has always been a part of human society. ![]()
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