Taxonomy
What does the word organism mean?
A living thing
What physical feature defines a vertebrate?
Backbone/spine/spinal cord
Give one example of a Noongar animal name that was adopted into English.
kwoka (quokka), noombat (numbat), yonga (kangaroo), dingu (dingo)
What is the science of grouping and naming things called?
Taxonomy
Which vertebrate class do snakes fall under (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians or fish)?
Reptile
Give one example of an Aboriginal animal name that was not adopted into English.
kwenda (bandicoot)
dwert (dog)
yoorn (bobtail)
noorn (snake)
In the scientific name Canis familiaris, which level of classification is the word Canis?
Genus
What feature is best to identify all mammals: giving live birth, living on land or producing milk?
Producing milk
(whales don't live on land, and platypuses lay eggs!)
Why did English settlers adopt words like noombat (nombat)?
They had never seen these unique animals before and had no English word for them.
Organisms are placed into the same group when they share what?
Similar features
Which animal cannot be placed on a vertebrate key: Frogs, Ferrets, Eels or Butterflies?
Butterflies
(they have no backbone).
Why did settlers not adopt words like guwing (sun) or gura (wind)?
They already had English words for the physical environment.
Organisms that belong to which level of classification are the most similar?
Species
Zebra and Donkey share the same genus, Equus. What does this tell us about them?
They are very closely related/most similar.
Why are there many different Indigenous classification maps across Australia instead of just one single system?
Groups lived separately, and Australia has many diverse environments.