Pokemon Taxonomy

[Agent Cobalt]

This is a really cool idea. It's not something I ever figured could be feasibly done (given how Pokémon generally flicks the V at traditional scientific mores), but you really pulled it off in a very cool way. I'll be following this project.

I wonder, how should the Slaking line be handled? They clearly start off as sloths, but Slaking itself seems to be more of a gorilla than a sloth?

Given its ability truant, its laziness, its name, and still somewhat apparent connection to its prevos, I think it's still good as a sloth. Sure it looks like a primate, but then, so do sloths kinda.

I gotta be honest, if I didn't know what I know, and just happened to see a sloth... I might call it a monkey.

I've updated the Cnidaria phylum for GEN V:

 

[RainbowMoondust]

Oh, I've been thinking a lot about doing something like this. But you beat me to it! If there's anything I can do, let me know.

Two of my fav things ever- science and pokemon!

 

[Agent Cobalt]

Awesome. Question, updating fish:

I'm adding GEN V Pokemon as well as trying to place older ones I've missed...

Previously my fish portion of Chordata only covered bony fish and cartilaginous fish, but not boneless fish. So I'm adding jawless fish (Class Agnatha) which includes lampreys (see the new GEN V lamprey).

My question is WTF I'm going to do with the Clamperl lines.

Normally I'd classify Pokemon by their final form... however, Clamperl is a split evolution. Now Huntail and Gorebyss are not only different kinds of fish potentially, but if they're fish then they're not mollusks which clamperl is based on.

So I have two issues to deal with here-

1. Is Clamperl a nymph stage of fish that looks like a clam/oyster, or are Gorebyss and Huntail mollusks that have essentially "hatched" from their shells becoming more mobile?

An answer might help explain why both evolutions have remnants of what appear to be clam shells on them.

2. Regardless of the former, is the difference in appearance of Clamperl's evolutions simply the result of a common ancestor and look similar when young? Many mammals look similar in the womb during development because of a common ancestor.

Or could it be they are the same animal but appear different from different conditions? The Axolotl reach sexual maturity without undergoing metamorphosis, however they can be forced to undergo metamorphosis by introducing them to different chemicals.

Poliwrath represents a frog that stays in the water instead of fully matured, while Politoed is the matured form (which is why I only included it). Bee colonies create queens by feeding a female larva royal jelly (I also only put Vespiqueen on the chart without Combee for the same reason as Politoed). Manaphy and Phione apparently represent what happens when Manaphy reproduce in cold and warm waters respectively.

Gorebyss evolves with a DeepSeaScale, and Huntail a DeepSeaTooth...

bah

 

[Red G]

This is an awesome project, nice work with it!

If anything, I'd put the whole clampearl line as mollusks. Just... more evolved, idk. Just think of magi-gyarados!

And I'm sure arceus is glad you didn't put him with the goats XD

 

[Akimbo]

why don't you just split clamperl up into three different pokemon, because otherwise it will end up weirdly
also i have a question about the new archeoterix pokemon (can't remember its name) does it fit under reptile of bird because it was the dawn of birds but still reptile

 

[Agent Cobalt]

why don't you just split clamperl up into three different pokemon, because otherwise it will end up weirdly
also i have a question about the new archeoterix pokemon (can't remember its name) does it fit under reptile of bird because it was the dawn of birds but still reptile

Because they're related by evolution. I can't split related pokemon into completely different phylums if I'm to try classifying them by taxonomy. It basically would ignore their roles. In real life giraffes don't turn into penguins. It's either a weird larval form or a weird adult form, but not both.

And the archaeopteryx is a bird, one of the first of its kind according to modern science. It's included in Aves for that reason.

UPDATE:

I've attempted to classify all mammal pokemon, if only by order as of now.

 

[Marik]

Just curious, what will you call Wobbuffet?

 

[RainbowMoondust]

Wigglytuff is not a Lagomorph? Will you explain why? I'm quite curious about this reasoning.

 

[Agent Cobalt]

This is an awesome project, nice work with it!

If anything, I'd put the whole clampearl line as mollusks. Just... more evolved, idk. Just think of magi-gyarados!

And I'm sure arceus is glad you didn't put him with the goats XD

I have Gyarados as a ferocious and large karp. It's serpent and dragon-like, but it's not a dragon. It carries over most of its fish features from Magikarp. Same fins, "whiskers", gills, and fish mouth. It's a pissed off long karp to me.

As for clampearl, I could make its evolved forms swimming mollusks. It would explain why huntail and gorebyss both have remnants of sea shells on them. Gorebyss has shells on its sides and Huntail down its head and back.

My only problem then is determining whether Huntail and Gorebyss are closely related but still unique lines with similar-looking nymph/larval stage (making Clampearl similar to a caterpillar in that not its a generic term for any larval stage of a butterfly or a moth, but in this case its these mollusks), or they're both mature versions of the same animal, but their appearances differ based upon which kind of trigger (deepsea tooth or scale) they come across.

As I stated earlier, Manaphy exist in cold waters and Phione warm waters, showing how differences in the same organism can occur based on environment or variables.

Just curious, what will you call Wobbuffet?

lol, a living punching bag.

 

[Pride]

well, turtwig is based on a turtle, chimchar on a monkey, and piplup on a penguin. Herracross is a beetle. Treeko is a gecko. torchic a chicken, and some more.....

 

[Akimbo]

you left out the monotremes in the animal section,
i think the cyndaquil line are echidnas and the pysduck line are platypi; they're not ducks, they have hands which ducks don't obviously, and have wings which is a feature ducks do have

 

[DracoMan]

Golduck is listed as a monotreme, and Cyndaquil's line should be too. I also wonder if Pikachu and its other stages should be under lagomorphs, which is what a pika is.

 

[Marik]

lol, a living punching bag.

A different category for Pokemon based on non-living objects maybe?

 

[RainbowMoondust]

Rotom would have to be there. I'm not sure where else it could go. With Magne... and voltorb/electrode, and some others.

 

[Agent Cobalt]

you left out the monotremes in the animal section,
i think the cyndaquil line are echidnas and the pysduck line are platypi; they're not ducks, they have hands which ducks don't obviously, and have wings which is a feature ducks do have

Monotremes are the first order of mammals I listed. Cyndaquil is an echidna, but its evolutions aren't and look like weasels which would place the line in the order carnivore. I agree on the Golduck line being monotremes. Their mature form doesn't fly, and not only do they not have true wings but they have webbed fingers.

A different category for Pokemon based on non-living objects maybe?

At the very least it'd be outside the regular natural taxonomy classification system. It might go into the Unnatural ranking...

Rotom would have to be there. I'm not sure where else it could go. With Magne... and voltorb/electrode, and some others.

Rotom is a ghost, so I'd throw it in the Supernatural ranking.

For the living machines, Mineral wouldn't suit because, while both living and inorganic, they're not minerals but rather made of mineral derived parts; mechanical. So perhaps a ranking system should be made as such:

Mineral
Machine
Natural Organic
Unnatural Organic
Supernatural
Deity

Wigglytuff is not a Lagomorph? Will you explain why? I'm quite curious about this reasoning.

There is no reasoning. I hadn't gotten there yet. There are pokemon like Wigglytuff, Chansey, Slowpoke, and others that I wasn't confident enough in myself to definitively classify them without a second opinion. But since you brought it up, here are my mammalian troubles-

Nido lines: Are they rabbits, rhinos, or Baragon-like monsters?
Clefable line: mammals, some other animals, moon aliens, pixies?
Wigglytuff line: lagomorphs, something else, pixies?
Abra line: Are they foxes, something else, or monsters/mystical creatures outside of taxonomy?
Slowpoke line: Hippos? Hellbender? Otter?
Rhyhorn line: Truly rhinos? Dinosaurs? Baragon-like monsters?
Chansey line: A marsupial? A monotreme? Not a mammal at all?
Eevee line: Obviously mammal, obviously carnivore, but what's going on?
Mew: Cat-like... however its embryonic appearance and origin and ancestor of most pokemon...
Marill line: Azumarill is rabbit-eque (lagomorph), yet evolves from mouse-like (rodent) pokemon...
Exploud line: Are they rabbits? Really ugly rabbits?
Shaymin: Mammal, but hedgehog, dog, deer?
Victini: Obviously mammalian, but can it be classified?
Kojofu line: WTF? Felines? Rodents? wsfgdfhg

The Nidorans have whiskers and ears like rabbits. Their evolved forms resemble rhinos and their names reflect that. Rabbits are lagomorph mammals and rhinos are Perissodactyl mammals. Nidoqueen has scales according to Pokedex entries and Nidoking resembles Baragon, a Kaiju monster from the Godzilla franchise, and if it is indeed modeled after the monster Baragon then he'd be a dinosaur making it a reptile and not a mammal. They also have reptilian tails unlike their previous forms.

It's interesting to note that King/Queen can't breed. They are also only reach via moon stone. And it's stated that evolution stones emit radiation to evolve pokemon, so perhaps the final forms of the nidos are in fact just mutant versions of their young. Nidorino and Nidorina could be their true mature forms, being able to sexually reproduce and all that jazz. Nidorina's said to chew up food for its young, implying that it's the true mature form of Nidoran and not Nidoqueen. The could apply to Nidorino and Nidoking. The moon stone, being in and of itself a moon rock, might have an adverse effect on the terrestrial mammal pokemon causing them to grow, become more vicious, turn sterile and infertile, change colors and mutate into unrecognizable forms. It's a thought...

Clefable: Like the Nidos, it needs a Moon Stone to evolve. It's also FROM THE MOON. So, yeah... a mammal from space? A fairy/alien/WTF'R US thing doesn't seem within classification limits despite its mammal-like ears and curly tail. It might just have to go in with the other otherworldly aliens.

Wigglytuff: Long ears make it look like a rabbit, which is a lagomorph, which is a mammal. However, like the others listed before it, uses a moon stone. Outside its ears and big feet, not much screams mammal to me... It does have curly hair on its head, and visible hair usually is a sign of being a mammal. A pixie or alien in Clefable's camp, or a mammal?

Abra kadabra alakazam! See thread...

Slowpokebroking: I think it's obvious that they're NOT hermit crabs as is often declared. They're literally not even similar in appearance. They have no characteristics of even being arthropods, let alone crustaceans. They "evolve" with a shellder biting them, which essentially results in them standing upright. Could be anything from amphibians to reptile to mammals. They fish with their tails... Their relation to shellder might be similar to otters that eat shellfish/bivalves by cracking them open. On top of that, Slowking gains a neck band thing unlike Slowbro...

The Shellder, despite looking drastically different after Slowpoke evolves, isn't refereed to as a Cloyster and removing it supposedly returns Slowbro to Slopoke... so perhaps the evolutions aren't even mature forms but simply responses to environment, like a dog standing on its hind legs while its master holds its front paws... Kinda a long tail for a hippo...

Rhyhorn... Ok, obviously a rhino, right? Rhydon stands upright with a thick ass tail like the Nido King/Queen pair, and like the Nidos it gains a Baragon appearance. Baragon was an enhanced dinosaur, a reptile. Rhydon's name also signifies a dinosaur/lizard. Then Rhyperior has that ankylosaurus club of a tail...

Eevee is a mammal... But its evolved forms resemble carnivores, lagomorphs, pinnipeds, etc... It's said to have unstable DNA, which explains its drastic change in appearance after touching evolutionary stones and route stones... but then the happiness evolutions during night and day... Espeon and Umbreon could be true matured forms specialized for night and day while the others are purely mutations in response to variables... If we exclude those other five forms, then Espeon/Umbreon would make it a carnivore...

Maybe Eevee is a generic term for similar animals, like cub, pup, and so on? Seven different animals with possible common ancestry and similar appearance at birth... Any ideas?

Victini is like a rabbit, based on an art of cutting apples to look like a rabbit with V-shaped ears. However, its legendary status might conflict with it (see Mew). I don't know its history or origin, so I can't just assume it's a regular animal with strong powers; it might have a mystical origin rather than purely biological.

Kojofu: it's based off fighting styles like the Hitmons. however, like many other fighting types, it's thankfully similar to regular organic life rather than looking like some odd alien/golem/WTF'R US monster. It looks like a mammal, like a ferret or a feline. It could be anything from a carnivore (which ferrets, cats, and others are) to a rodent. Any ideas?

 

[RainbowMoondust]

Do you want my opinion on those?

For instance, I've sorta always thought of the Slow... as being like water sloths.

 

[Agent Cobalt]

Any opinions... from anyone.

 

[ArceusAlpha493]

Would Arceus be classified as Equis(horse)This would mean that Arceus is a mammal
What would Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina be classified in . Or how about the lake gaurdians

 

[Agent Cobalt]

No. Arceus isn't a horse. He's a god basically. The same goes for those dragons, they're deities basically, or close to it; they're outside of natural taxonomy.

See, with the legendaries it's like this- There are legendaries that are just really strong or rare animals or whatever, and then there's just beyond this world shit.

Arceus, Giratina, Palkia, Dialga, and others are just cosmic beings beyond nature itself. They're not true animals in the sense of belonging to a phylum or order or genus or whatever; they were created through cosmic means as opposed to Pokemon like Mew that are very powerful and elusive but still just an ancient ancestor of most Pokemon.

Arceus is like God and Mew is like Adam. You could call Adam a man and thus a primate, but you can't do the same with God. The same goes for other deity Pokemon.

It's different depending on the Pokemon. I listed, in that picture above, the Legendary Cats as carnivores because that's all they are. Are Suicune, Raikou, and Entei very powerful? Are they rare? Are they surrounded by legend? Yes. Are they gods or even close? Not at all. They're *based* inspiration-wise on shinto gods I guess, but they're nothing more than some dead animals Ho-Oh revived after the tower burned down and killed them. Raikou's still a smilodon tiger, whether he's stronger now or not.

The dragons were all *created* by Arceus, who himself arrived from a chaos egg. That's a little different. The lake pixies would likely fall in the same camp as the dragons.

 

[RainbowMoondust]

Eevee seems fox-like to me. Same with the Abra family. Well, either that or humanoid.