THE SCIENCE OF CLASSIFICATION
The number of organisms, both living and extinct, is so great that some [system] of classification is needed to link them all together. Many fossils bear distinct similarities to plants and animals that are living today, and for this reason paleontological classification is similar to that used to classify modern organisms. This system, known as the system of [binomial nomenclature], was first used consistently in 1758 by Linné (or Linnaeus), an early Swedish naturalist.
Scientific names established in accordance with the principles of [binomial nomenclature] consist of two parts: the generic (or genus) name and the trivial name. These names are commonly derived from Greek or Latin words which are usually descriptive of the organism or [fossil] being named. They may, however, be derived from the names of people or places, and in such instances the names are always Latinized. Greek or Latin is used because they are “dead” languages and not subject to change. They are also “international” languages in that scientists all over the world can use the same names regardless of what language they write in. The [system] of binomial nomenclature has led to the development of the science of [taxonomy], the systematic classification and naming of plants and animals according to their relationships.