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In biology, an identification key, taxonomic key, or frequently just key, is a printed or computer-aided device that aids in the identification of biological organisms. Historically, the most common type of identification key is the dichotomous key , a type of single-access key which offers a fixed sequence of identification steps, each with ...
In phylogenetics, a single-access key (also called dichotomous key, sequential key, analytical key, [1] or pathway key) is an identification key where the sequence and structure of identification steps is fixed by the author of the key. At each point in the decision process, multiple alternatives are offered, each leading to a result or a ...
The terms "tabular key" and "matrix key" are best limited to a tabular presentation format of multi-access keys. [3] The term "synoptic key" has an older definition, defining it as a key reflecting taxonomic classification and opposed to diagnostic keys arranged solely for the convenience of identification. [1]
Identifying moths. Identification in biology is the process of assigning a pre-existing taxon name to an individual organism.Identification of organisms to individual scientific names (or codes) may be based on individualistic natural body features, [1] experimentally created individual markers (e.g., color dot patterns), or natural individualistic molecular markers (similar to those used in ...
Taxonomy is that part of Systematics concerned with topics (a) to (d) above. A whole set of terms including taxonomy, systematic biology, systematics, scientific classification, biological classification, and phylogenetics have at times had overlapping meanings – sometimes the same, sometimes slightly different, but always related and ...
Originally, taxonomy referred only to the classification of organisms on the basis of shared characteristics. Today it also has a more general sense. It may refer to the classification of things or concepts, as well as to the principles underlying such work. Thus a taxonomy can be used to organize species, documents, videos or anything else.
In a diagnostic key, the branching structure of the key should not be mistaken for a phylogenetic or cladistic branching pattern. All single-access keys form a decision tree (or graph if reticulation exists), and thus all such keys have a branching structure. "Branching key" may therefore occasionally be used as a synonym for single-access key.
Once morphological (or molecular) models of a species have been developed and demonstrated to be accurate, these models can be queried to determine which aspects of the observed patterns of variation and variation limits are being used to achieve the identification, thus opening the way for the discovery of new and (potentially) more reliable ...