Final answer:
Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) invented modern taxonomy and the binomial naming system for organisms, which is still in use today. He categorized living things into hierarchical groups and his work remains the foundation of biological classification.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual who developed the first comprehensive and still influential classification, or taxonomy, of plants and animals is Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778). Linnaeus is known as the 'father of taxonomy' and is credited with inventing modern taxonomy, the science of naming and grouping organisms. His classification system grouped organisms that shared physical traits and was outlined in his work, Systema Naturae. Linnaeus's naming system, known as binomial nomenclature, assigns each organism a two-word name, consisting of the genus name and the species name. Examples include the North American blue jay Cyanocitta cristata and humans, Homo sapiens. This method allows scientists worldwide to communicate effectively about species, regardless of language barriers.
Within his taxonomy, Linnaeus divided the natural world into three kingdoms: animal, plant, and mineral, where he utilized a hierarchy of categories including kingdom, class, order, family, genus, and species, with species being the most specific unit. Although he realized that his system might not reflect natural diversity perfectly, it provided a practical way to manage the vast diversity of life by categorizing living things into logical groups based on common features.