The History of John Ray - Essay Example

His publications mainly focused on natural aspects such as fish, insects, mammals, plants, and birds. In his journals, he brought order to the mass of names used by other naturalists. His most significant contribution, which he is known for, incorporates developing a classification system for different organisms. His classification system was the most original to classify flowering plants as either dicots or monocots. Other naturalists, such as Linnaeus, organised the same under a single system; the floral classification system. Ray’s classification was better and more precise because it expressed similarities as well as differences in a comprehensive manner. This system greatly influenced works by other botanists and replaced the methods based on one feature. This classification system is still relevant in the contemporary world, indicating how important John Ray had been through his classification.