What is the classification system that primarily relies on an animal's physical appearance to group it among its taxonomic peers?

The classification system that primarily relies on an animal's physical appearance to group it among its taxonomic peers is called the Linnaean classification system or the binomial nomenclature system.

To determine an animal's classification using this system, you can follow these steps:

1. Observe the physical characteristics of the animal you are studying. Look for features such as body shape, color, size, presence or absence of specific structures like wings or fins, and other external traits.

2. Start by identifying the animal's kingdom. There are five kingdoms in the Linnaean classification system: Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Monera. If you are dealing with an animal, it will fall into the Animalia kingdom.

3. Determine the animal's phylum. The Animalia kingdom is divided into different phyla based on common characteristics. For example, arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.) belong to the phylum Arthropoda, while chordates (mammals, birds, fish, etc.) belong to the phylum Chordata.

4. Next, identify the animal's class. Each phylum is further divided into classes. For instance, mammals fall into the class Mammalia, while reptiles are classified under the class Reptilia.

5. Proceed to identify the animal's order. Classes are divided into orders. For example, within the class Mammalia, you have orders like Primates (including humans), Carnivora (e.g., dogs, cats, bears), and Rodentia (e.g., mice, rats).

6. Determine the animal's family. Orders are subdivided into families. For example, within the order Carnivora, you have families like Felidae (e.g., domestic cats, lions), Canidae (e.g., dogs, wolves), and Ursidae (e.g., bears).

7. Finally, identify the animal's genus and species. This is the most specific level of classification and is commonly referred to as the scientific name. For example, the domestic cat's scientific name is Felis catus, where Felis represents the genus and catus represents the species.

By following these steps, you can determine an animal's taxonomic classification based on its physical appearance using the Linnaean classification system.

The classification system that primarily relies on an animal's physical appearance to group it among its taxonomic peers is called Linnaean taxonomy or the classical taxonomy.