Which statement best defines taxonomy?

• A. The science of growing crops
• B. The study of animal behavior
• C. The science of classifying organisms
• D. The history of farming

Answer: (C)

Taxonomy is a branch of biology focused on naming, describing, and organizing living things into groups based on shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships. It provides a standardized system for classifying organisms, often using a hierarchical framework (domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) and binomial names to help scientists communicate clearly about different organisms. This organization helps us understand how species are related and track biodiversity across the planet. The other topics describe different fields—growing crops relates to agronomy or horticulture, studying animal behavior is ethology, and the history of farming falls under agricultural history—so the statement that best defines taxonomy is the science of classifying organisms.