Question

Which of the following characters served as the criteria for the five kingdom system of classification as used by R. H Whittaker?
A. Cell structure and thallus organization
B. Mode of nutrition and reproduction
C. Phylogenetic relationships
D. All of these.

Answer 1

Hint: R. H Whittaker, was an American ecologist, He proposed 5 kingdom system:
(i) Monera
(ii) Protista
(iii) Fungi
(iv) Plantae
(v) Animalia

Complete Answer:
A. Cell structure and thallus organization: He divided organisms on this base of cell structure and thallus organization. He shows that the cell type is prokaryotic and Eukaryotic and on the basis of thallus structure.
B. Mode of nutrition and reproduction: He organized organisms on the basis of autotrophic, heterotrophic mode of nutrition. He also classified organisms on the basis of reproduction.
C. Phylogenetic relationships: Phylogeny is the evolutionary history. He classified organisms which belong to the same ancestors by using fossil records.
D. All of the above.

The correct option is D.

Note: (i) In R. H Whittaker’s classification, organisms of each type have a proper place from the point of view of their structure and evolution.
(ii) His classification system was supported by most Biologists.