Answer: Polynomial names grew long and inconsistent as more species were described.
- A Binomial names cannot be standardised across different countries
- B Polynomial systems could be applied mainly to plants, rarely animals
- C Polynomial names were shorter, making species harder to tell apart
- D Polynomial names grew long and inconsistent as more species were described
Correct answer: D. Polynomial names grew long and inconsistent as more species were described
Explanation: Before Linnaeus, species were named with long descriptive Latin phrases that grew unwieldy as more species were discovered; the two-part binomial system standardised and simplified naming.
The taxonomic hierarchy narrows from Kingdom (broadest, covering the most organisms but fewest shared traits) down to Species (narrowest, fewest organisms but most shared traits) - every level in between is a progressively more specific subset of the one above it.
Concept context
Biodiversity, taxonomy, binomial nomenclature, the taxonomic hierarchy, and taxonomic aids like herbaria and botanical gardens. The foundational first chapter of NCERT Biology.