| How
would you like to explore forests, deserts, or swamps and discover a new kind of plant or animal? If that sounds interesting, perhaps you could have a career as a taxonomist. |
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| Taxonomists are scientists who identify and classify organisms. When a new species is found, the taxonomist who found it is allowed to name it. |
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| As more people become concerned about
the survival of many species, the work of taxonomists becomes more important. In order to help a species, much needs to be known about the area in which it lives. Taxonomists find out what organisms live in an area and how the organisms interact. |
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| To be a taxonomist, a person needs a college degree in biology or a related field. A person must also work carefully, analyze things well, and keep good records. Keeping accurate records is important to all scientists. The differences among species are often very slight, so careful records are needed to tell them apart. Also, records need to be detailed so that other people can understand the information. |
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| In
your science journal,
make a list of objects, a list of materials, or a list of events. Describe how the items on your list are similar and different. Use this information to make a classification system for your list. How would your classification system be helpful? |