Dichotomous Keys A Dichotomous Key Is A Written Set Of Choices That Leads To The Name Of An Organism. These Are Used To Identify Unknown Organisms. Use The Dichotomous Key Below To Determine The Scientific Name Of Each Organism Below. Scientific Name Common Name 1. Cow 2. Rose 3. Dolphin 4. Eagle 5. Shark 6. Pine Tree 7. Dog Dichotomous Key in Identifying Scientific Name 1. animal not an animal Go to 2 2. has wings no wings Go to 6 Haliaeetus leucocephalus eagle 3. has fluffy fur no fluffy fur Go to 4 Go to 4 4. lives in water Bos taurus lives in land Go to 5 Canis familiaris 5. fish, cold blooded mammals, warm blooded Carcharodon Carcharias Haematopus ostralegus 6. grows tall does not grow tall Pinus ponderosa Rhus toxicodendron
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Based on the provided Dichotomous Key, here are the scientific names of the organisms:
- Cow: The key leads us through the following steps:
- It is an animal, so we move to step 2.
- It does not have wings, so we move to step 6.
- It does not have fluffy fur, so we proceed to step 4.
- It lives on land, so we go to step 5.
- The organism described is a Bos taurus, which is the scientific name for a cow.
- Rose:
- The key starts with identifying it as a plant, so we go to step 6.
- It does not grow tall, so the organism is Rhus toxicodendron (commonly poison ivy or sumac).
- Dolphin:
- It is an animal, so we proceed to step 2.
- It does not have wings, so we move to step 6.
- It has fluffy fur, so we go to step 4.
- It lives in water, so the organism is a Haematopus ostralegus (though this scientific name does not correspond with a dolphin, it’s listed here based on the key).
- Eagle:
- It is an animal, so we proceed to step 2.
- It has wings, so we move to step 3.
- It does not have fluffy fur, so we continue to step 4.
- It lives on land, leading us to Haliaeetus leucocephalus, the scientific name for an eagle.
- Shark:
- It is an animal, so we go to step 2.
- It does not have wings, so we proceed to step 6.
- It does not have fluffy fur, so we go to step 4.
- It lives in water, and because it’s a fish that is cold-blooded, we arrive at Carcharodon carcharias, the scientific name for a shark.
- Pine Tree:
- It is not an animal, so we go to step 6.
- It grows tall, so we get Pinus ponderosa, the scientific name for a pine tree.
- Dog:
- It is an animal, so we proceed to step 2.
- It does not have wings, so we move to step 6.
- It has fluffy fur, so we continue to step 4.
- It lives on land, and the organism is a Canis familiaris, the scientific name for a dog.
Explanation of the Dichotomous Key Process:
A dichotomous key is a tool used for identifying organisms based on a series of two choices at each step. Each choice narrows down the possibilities until a specific scientific name is reached. The key uses distinguishing features like the presence of wings, fur type, and whether the organism lives in water or on land. For example:
- For a cow, the key identifies it as an animal, with no wings, no fluffy fur, and living on land, ultimately identifying it as Bos taurus.
- For a rose, the key starts with the plant classification and determines that it is a plant that does not grow tall, identifying it as Rhus toxicodendron (sumac).
Each step systematically narrows down options to a final answer.