The Classification of Living Things

Taxonomic ranking helps scientists classify and identify different species. Scientists include every single living thing that has ever existed on Earth, which allows us to see how life on Earth has evolved and what different species have in common—even if they have been extinct for thousands of years or live on opposite sides of the world!

You may have seen a lion chase a zebra in a TV documentary, but that is just one way animals interact with each other. Competing for food and resources, finding a place to call home, and reproducing are some of the main priorities for all species. To do so, animals, bacteria, and plants have evolved to interact in many different ways to survive. These interactions help to maintain a balanced and healthy ecosystem.