Five Kingdoms

I wanted to learn more about current thinking on taxonomy, so I turned to Five Kingdoms An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth by Lynn Margulis and Karlene V. Schwartz. It was published by W.H. Freeman and Company (New York) in 1998, and reprinted in 2001. I learned about this book while taking Plant Diseases at Merritt College last fall.

Carl Linnaeus originated the concept of binomial nomenclature and developed a classification scheme for living things in the 1700s, which included plants, animals, and vermes (for worms, or “simple” animals). As scientists learn more at the molecular and genetic level, new classification groups have emerged, and many living things are being reclassified and renamed to reflect the latest information. Five Kingdoms proposes five groups for living things – plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and protoctista.

The book provides an introduction, and sections on two super kingdoms – Prokarya (pro=before, and karyon=seed, kernel or nucleus, used to describe organisms that lack a nucleus); and Eukarya (eu=true, used to describe animal and plant cells). Each super kingdom is described, as well as each of their phyla. The text is very accessible, and information is presented visually with pictures, illustrations, and visual icons. From a plant diseases perspective, there are pests from all five groups.This is a great reference book.