Hey Budding Biologists! 🌿 Let's dive into a world where tree ferns are used as walls and naming species is an age-old tradition! This is your journey through the concept of species and their shared traits, and guess what? It's as fun as discovering a new creature in your backyard!

• Species are groups of organisms that share recognizable traits or characteristics. Ever noticed how you can group plants and animals into different categories based on how they look or act? That's classifying species!
• Real-World Example: When Māoris arrived in New Zealand 800 years ago, they found seven different types of tree ferns, and they named each one. Imagine using plants to build your house, just like building with LEGO, but in a forest!

• From the 17th century, the term "species" became popular, and naming and classifying species became a full-time job for biologists!
• Carl Linnaeus was the superstar of this field in the 18th century, like the Beyoncé of Biology. 🌟 He pioneered the research on species and used morphology to understand them.
• Morphology refers to studying the outer form and inner structure. Imagine looking at the framework of a car, and you'll get an idea!

• This idea means that species are identified by their shared physical appearance and structure.
• It's like recognizing your favorite ice-cream flavor by its look and texture. Yum!