Dichotomous keys

A key is a series of questions relating to the features of an organism

Based on your answer to each question, you will be led to another question until you reach
the end of the questions. By the end, you will be able to identify the animal you are looking
for

All keys work the same way

The question asked has two possible answers, which will lead to another question and so on
until you reach the end, where you will identify the organism.

Biologists use keys to classify organisms into groups called species

Differences between the members of the same species is called a variation
(variation complicates classification and creates sub-divisions in the classification system)

Species : Group of organisms that can breed together to produce fertile offspring.(this
means the young breed should be able to breed and produce fertile offsprings as well)

Offsprings between two organisms of different species is called a hybrid.

Hybrids are usually sterile (ie. mules)
Mule : male donkey and female horse
Tigon : Male tiger and a lioness
Liger : Lion and a tigress
The above animals do not form another species as they don’t successfully breed together

Hybridisation is common in ducks (hard to classify ducks as they don’t show their parent
specie features)
Ring Species (complicate classification) : series of related organisms that live close together
but are adapted for slightly different conditions (some can interbreed and some can't)

7 variants of the Larus Gulls are found in the north atlantic.

They have slightly different adaptations according to the region they are from
If they show enough variation they will be classified as a new species