Define Aim of Neotaxonomy or Systematic or Biosystematics

The aim of neotaxonomy or systematic or biosystematics is not only to describe, identify and arrange organisms in convenient categories but also to understand their evolutionary histories and mechanisms. Earlier approaches were primarily based exclusively on observed or morphological data without considering intraspecific differences. Many of the species are thus known by single or few specimens.

Recently, however, great attention is paid to sub-groupings of the species like populations and subspecies. The old morphological species are now called biological ones, which also includes ecological, ethological genetical and other characters. All these new approaches have contributed greatly in explaining the true structure of the species and their evolutionary position and in modification of the basic system of taxonomy. However most of the new approaches need specific methods. A  brief account of some of the more important current approaches are discussed in this unit. Some of these approaches are still developing and provide much excitement by generating new data and information. You should, however, bear in mind that even today it is the morphological features which are used the most, as they are most easily observed, In addition while going mrough the new approaches you will realise that data from just one approach may not be sufficient to identify organisms.

Taxonomists try as far as possible to use data from as many approaches as possible for accurate identification. Thus today taxonomy is usually called biosystematics  or systematic or evolutionary taxonomy or neotaxonomy as it tends to place organisms which share a common ancestor (monophyletic Bncestory) within the same group. Inference of ancestory is based upon similarity and difference among organisms. These differences and similarities are not limited to morphological traits alone. They include a wide variety of similarities and differences in behaviour, embryological structures, fine morphological details with the help of electron microscopes, biochemistry, ecology, cytogenetical data and statistical data.