Taxonomy is a branch of life sciences that is concerned with defining biological organisms into groups based on characteristics shared and giving names to the groups. Organisms grouped together form taxa, the singular form being taxon. The groups are then given a taxonomic rank, which can be aggregated, forming super groups of lower rank, creating a taxonomic hierarchy.

Taxonomy is sometimes referred to as the world's oldest profession. Identifying, naming, and classifying our environments has been a centerpiece to mankind and our evolution since our inception. Some of the earliest works date back to 1500 BC, where paintings of medicinal plants showed that the societies of the time valued and communicated the uses of different plants and fungi.

There would be other very influential people before taxonomy would really establish itself as a science. Aristotle was the first person to classify organisms, classifying beings by their parts (attributes), some examples being having four legs, having blood, or being warm-bodies. Plants and animals were the two categories he put all living organisms. Another major contributor to taxonomy was Piliny the Elder. Naturalis Historia detailed many plants, and comprised a massive 160 volumes.

Other scientists would influence taxonomy, but none would have as great of an impact as Carl Linnaeus. Linnaeus is regarded as the father of taxonomy, publishing many famous works like Systema Naturae (1735), Species Plantarum (1753), as well as Systema Naturae (10^th edition). These works would revolutionize modern taxonomy, and his work would be implemented as a standard for naming animals and plant species. The system would be called the Linnaean system, and it would create a starting point for all valid names for plants and animals. All other names that were made before this were referred to as "pre-Linnaean) and are not considered valid, including some that were made by Linnaeus before 1753.

Linnaeus truly did make classification much easier for science, and Linnaen taxonomy formulated towards the end of the 18^th century. This work would far precede Charles Darwin's most famous book, On the Origin of Species, and would lead scientists into the modern system of classification. Examples of this work predating Charles Darwin's work was Erasmus Darwin's 1796 Zoönomia and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's 1809 Philosophie Zoologique. These works would be promoting the transmutation of species, which is a pre-evolution idea of how species change in environments.

Linnaeus truly did make classification much easier for science, and Linnaen taxonomy formulated towards the end of the 18^th century. This work would far precede Charles Darwin's most famous book, On the Origin of Species, and would lead scientists into the modern system of classification. Examples of this work predating Charles Darwin's work was Erasmus Darwin's 1796 Zoönomia and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's 1809 Philosophie Zoologique. These works would be promoting the transmutation of species, which is a pre-evolution idea of how species change in environments.

Taxonomy allows the world of organisms to be painted in more simple terms for scientists. It helps show what species are related, as well as what makes them different from other species in their group. With the rise of taxonomy, so too did most life sciences, as you can't go very far without knowing what to call something. The process would simplify naming new species found, as the Linnaean system would streamline the entire process.

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