Part 4: Case Studies & the Role Today

 Even in the age of molecular biology, morphological taxonomy remains important.

Case Studies:

• Butterfly wing patterns used in Pieridae classification

• Genitalia dissection for species-level ID in Lepidoptera

• Leaf and flower structure for local plant flora surveys

Modern Role:

• Still essential for first-line identification

• Used to describe new species before sequencing

• Often combined with molecular data in integrative taxonomy

Morphology is no longer the whole story — but it is still the first chapter.