Taxonomy Collection (#9)

Organising nature section in Cocoon
The Organising nature section in Cocoon in the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum, London

Stars. Computer artwork showing a combination of stars of different colours, sizes and brightness. The colour of a star will depend on several of its properties, including its chemical composition

Biological collection. Collection of biological specimens arranged in a circular pattern. Clockwise from upper right are: seeds from tropical legume plants, euphorbia flowers, jewel beetles

Butterfly collection. Display of various British butterflies (order Lepidoptera) mounted and labelled on card. There are an estimated 180, 000 species of Lepidoptera butterflies worldwide

Aristotle as a young man. The Ancient Greek philosopher and naturalist Aristotle (384-322 BC) influenced many later thinkers, working in areas such as logic, astronomy, zoology

Beetle collection. Display of various weevil beetles (order Coleoptera) mounted and pinned on card. It is etimated that there are between 5 and 8 million species of beetle worldwide

Addison Emery Verrill, US zoologist
Addison Emery Verrill (1839-1926), American zoologist. Verrill graduated from Harvard University, USA, but moved to Yale University when he was appointed as the first professor of zoology there

Aristotle, Ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle. Illustration of a bust of the Ancient Greek philosopher and logician Aristotle (384-322 BC). After studying at Platos Academy, he went on to tutor the young Alexander the Great

Georges Cuvier, French zoologist
Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), French zoologist and anatomist. Georges Leopold Chretien Frederick Dagobert Cuvier was educated in Stuttgart, Germany

Science research, conceptual image. Periodic table seen behind the eyepieces of a bifocal light microscope

1850 Richard Owen zoologist lecturing
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892) Caricature from Punch 1850, captioned " A scientific institution during a lecture of an eminent savan " (sic)

1737 Carl Linnaeus in Lapland dress HD
Carl Linnaeus mezzotint engraving by H. Kingsbury with later hand colouring, published by Dr. Thornton 1805 from an original in his possession

1560 Gesner mole scientific translation
A mole, (Talpa europaea), woodcut with orignal hand colouring from Conrad Gesner " Icones Animalium" 1560. Before the advent of Linnaeus binomial latin taxonomic nomenclature such multiple

Aristotle (384-322 BC)
Athenian philospher and logician. He studied under Plato in Athens. In 342 BC he returned to Macedon where he was born and tutored Alexander The Great

Collecting insects. Entomologist using netting to catch insect specimens in a spring field in Israel

1885 Richard Owen, T. H. Huxley, waterbaby
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892). Thomas Henry Huxley (4 May 1825 - 29 June 1895). Linley Sambournes illustration for the new 1885 Macmillan edition of Kingsleys 1862/3 The

1850 Richard Owen portrait paleontologist
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892). 1850 portrait by Thomas Herbert Maguire lithographed by M&H Hanhart. Part of the Portraits of the Honarary members of the Ipswich Museum collection

1880s Sir Richard Owen and Grandaughter
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892). Portrait frontispiece published in Volume II " The Life of Professor Owen" by his grandson in 1894

1870s Professor Sir Richard Owen
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892) 1870s CDV by Maull & Polyblank of London. Owen was a comparative anatomist and palaeontologist who became one of the most famous

Galapagos bird specimens Darwin Research
Two Galapagos Mockingbirds (right, upper from Espanola lower from San Cristobal), three Galapagos finch species (upper left) and Yellow Warbler (gold, lower left)

1880 Sir Richard Owen engraved portrait
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892) 1880s engraving by C.H. Jeens. Owen was a comparative anatomist and palaeontologist who became one of the most famous

Preserved Galapagos Mockingbird
A Galapagos Mockingbird, from the collection of the Charles Darwin Research Station on Galapagos. While actually on the Beagle voyage, it was the mockinbirds

1841 Richard Owen coined dinosaur
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892) 1894 engraving from an 1840s painting by Pickersgill, later hand colouring. Owen was a comparative anatomist and palaeontologist

1889 Sir Richard Owen portrait in old age
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892). 1889 Portrait mezzotint by H.J. Thaddeus with contemporary face but pose taken from an earlier 1852 photograph with dinosaur

1855 Wallace & Rajah Brookes Birdwing 1855 Wallace & Rajah Brookes Birdwing
Rajah Brookes Birdwing male (Trogonoptera brookiana) shown with a steel engraving of Sir James Brooke, the famous White Rajah of Sarawak who Wallace named the butterfly for

Collection of Darwins Finches galapagos
A group of Darwins finches, Geospizinae, from the collection of the Charles Darwin Research Station on Galapagos, showing a range of beak sizes and shapes

1878 Sir Richard Owen photograph portrait
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892). Woodburytype photograph by Lock & Whitfield published in Men or Mark 1878

1820 Jean Baptiste Lamarck old and blind
Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1 August 1744 - 18 December 1829) portrait when old and blind. A later hand coloured frontis engraving by Lizars from his Cabinet Cyclopaedia series

1873 Richard Owen Vanity Fair CU portrait
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892). Caracature from Vanity Fairs Men of the Day series. Owen was a comparative anatomist and palaeontologist who became one of the most famous

1889 Sir Richard Owen portrait old age cu
Richard Owen (20, July 1804- 18 December 1892). Portrait mezzotint by H.J. Thaddeus. Owen was a comparative anatomist and palaeontologist who became one of the most famous

Darwins Galapagos Finches
Illustration from page 379, " Journal of Researches" 2nd Edition 1845 Charles Darwin. The contrasting beaks of four Galapagos finches

1795 Domesticated female orangutan
1795 " A Domesticated Female Orang Outang" (sic). J. Thle del et J. Chapman sculpt. from J. Frid Gmelin and Carl Linnaeus (posthumous)

1795 Wild Man of the woods - orangutan
1795 " The Orang Outang, or Wild Man of the Woods" (sic). J. Thle del et J. Chapman sculpt. from J. Frid Gmelin and Carl Linnaeus (posthumous)

Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist
Carl Linnaeus. Caricature of the Swedish botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). Linnaeus was a great classifier of living organisms

Bernard de Jussieu, French botanist
Bernard de Jussieu (1699-1777), French botanist, examining a flower with a magnifying glass. As a demonstrator at the Jardin des Plantes, Paris

Antoine de Jussieu, French botanist
Antoine Laurent de Jussieu (1748-1836), French botanist. De Jussieu categorized plants into families and developed a system of classification for flowering plants

Linnaeus in Lapland, 1732
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), Swedish botanist, narrowly avoiding falling into a crevasse whilst on an expedition to Lapland, Finland, in 1732

Linnaeus and de Jussieu, botanists
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), Swedish botanist and taxonomist (right), meeting French botanist Bernard de Jussieu (centre) in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, France

Sir Richard Owen, caricature
Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892). Caricature of the English anatomist and palaeontologist Richard Owen, showing him with a large forehead and jaw, and bushy hair

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Taxonomy, the science of classification, unveils the intricate web of life on our planet. Just as the standard periodic table categorizes elements based on their properties, taxonomy organizes living organisms into distinct groups. From the majestic Yellow Hammer bird to the fierce Sparrow Hawk bird of prey, each species finds its place in this systematic arrangement. Similar to how elements are grouped by type in the periodic table, birds too can be classified based on their characteristics. The Belted kingfisher with its vibrant plumage and impressive diving skills stands alongside the agile Nuthatch and its unique ability to move headfirst down tree trunks. Delving deeper into history, we find a plate dated 1793 that showcases early attempts at taxonomy. Even Aristotle himself contributed to this field centuries ago with his observations and classifications of various species. One significant milestone came in 1807 when Linnaeus introduced a plant sex system, revolutionizing our understanding of reproductive mechanisms within plants. This breakthrough further highlighted how taxonomy extends beyond just animals. The Hobby small falcon bird of prey takes flight alongside other avian wonders like the Egyptian Nightjar and Swallow-tailed Kite. Each one possesses distinctive features that make them perfectly adapted for survival in their respective habitats. Intriguingly complex yet beautifully organized, taxonomy allows us to unravel nature's secrets while appreciating its diversity. As we continue exploring Earth's biodiversity through taxonomic studies, we gain invaluable insights into our own existence within this vast tapestry of life.