Please Write Your Name

Below
Isaiah Howard
DICHOTOMOUS KEYS
Background:
•As we have discussed in class, with the help of Carolus Linnaeus, scientists have
developed a hierarchical organizing and naming system for all organisms — from DOMAIN
all the way down to GENUS and SPECIES. Now that we have this organized system, we
can classify all living creatures into groups. When scientists are classifying an unknown
organism, they use a DICHOTOMOUS KEY. This tool helps them find the name of the
organism. This key has a list of specific characteristics or traits that the scientists can use
to compare to the unknown organism. It is called a DICHOTOMOUS KEY because each
step along the way gives the scientists two choices and then directions of what to do next.
 
Objectives (Purpose):
 Students will learn to use and make a dichotomous key.
 PART I. Use a dichotomous key
1. Use the picture of the shark below to help you identify the different parts.

2. Look at shark # 1. Start at statement 1A of the key and read the statement. If the statement is true, follow the instructions at
the end. If the statement is false, go on to statement 1B. If the instructions tell you to go to another statement, then read that
statement and follow the directions at the end.

3. Continue to follow the statements according the directions written in the key until you find the name of the Family the shark
belongs to.

4. Write the Family name and the identification pathway in the table that follows.

5. Do this for each of the fourteen sharks but remember to ALWAYS START AT THE FIRST STATEMENT! If you start in the
middle of the key or try to work backwards, you could get a wrong answer.
Dichotomous
Key
 Use the dichotomous key to classify the fish
in the picture below and then write the
scientific name in the space below

Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Rajidae 1a,12
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Alopiidae 1b, 2
2b,3
3b,4
4b,5
5b,6  continue, it 6B
6b,7
7b,8
8b,9
9a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family pristiophondae  1b,2
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Carcharhinidae 1b,2
2b,3
3b,4
4b,5
5b,6
6b,7
7b,8
8b,9
9b,10
10b,11
11b
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Sphyrnidae 1b,2
2b,3
3b,4
4a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family 1b,2
Rhionocodontidae 2b,3
3b,4
4b,5
5a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family isuridae 1b,2
2b,3
3b,4
4b,5
5b,6
6b,7
7a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Squalidae 1b,2
2b,3
3b,4
4b,5
5b,6
6b,7
7b,8
8b,9
9b,10
10b,11
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Rajidae 1a,12
12a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Isuridae 1b,2
2b,3
3b,4
4b,5
5b,6
6b,7
7a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Pristiophoridae 1b.2
2a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Hexanchidae 1b,2
2b,3
3a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Sphyrnidae 1b,2
2b,3
3b,4
4b,5
5b,6
6a
 Identification pathway
Identified as (list numbers & letters separated by
commas)
Family Mobulidae 1a,12
12b,13
13a
1A
1B
2A
2B
3A
3B
4A
4B
5A
5B
6A
6B