In the initial stages of taxonomy, classification of plants and animals was based solely on visible external features. While Theophrastus described 480 plants in his work 'Historia Plantarum' based on their growth forms, the first artificial classification system for both plants and animal

Question

In the initial stages of taxonomy, classification of plants and animals was based solely on visible external features. While Theophrastus described 480 plants in his work 'Historia Plantarum' based on their growth forms, the first artificial classification system for both plants and animals was proposed in the book 'Historia Naturalis.' Who introduced this system?

Accepted Answer

Pliny the Elder. Pliny the Elder wrote 'Historia Naturalis,' and the question states that this work contained the first artificial classification system for both plants and animals. Theophrastus focused mainly on plants, Aristotle on animals, and Linnaeus came much later with a modern system.

Solution

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