Pokemon Classification

[Gudon44]

WHAT HAVE I DONE??? Here's an incomplete classification of some Pokemon from generations 1-6. Agree or disagree as you please.
Edited after suggestions from Saturniidae, Reggiesteel, and Jabberwocky
MAMMALS

• Rodentia
  • Muridae: Rattata/Raticate, Azurill/Marill/Azumarill, Dedenne
  • Pedetidae: Pichu/Pikachu/Raichu
  • Dipodidae: Cleffa/Clefairy/Clefable, Mew
  • Castoridae: Bidoof/Bibarel
  • Sciuridae: Pachirisu, Emolga
  • Chinchillidae: Minccino/Cinccino
  • Erethizontidae: Chespin, Quilladin
• Pholidota
  • Manidae: Sandshrew/Sandslash
• Carnivora
  • Canidae
    • Unnamed clade of bipedal canines: Abra/Kadabra/Alakazam, Riolu/Lucario, Zorua/Zoroark, Fennekin/Braixen/Delphox
    • Canini
      • Cuon: Growlithe/Arcanine
      • Lycaon: Jolteon
      • Canis: Snubbull/Granbull, Houndour, Houndoom, Electrike/Manectric, Lillipup/Herdier/Stoutland, Furfrou, Swirlix/Slurpuff
      • Chrysocyon: Suicune
      • Cerdocyon: Absol
    • Vulpini: Vulpix/Ninetales, Flareon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Victini, Sylveon
  • Felidae
    • Felinae: Meowth/Persian, Espeon, Skitty/Delcatty, Glameow/Purugly, Purrloin/Liepard, Espurr/Meowstic
    • Pantherinae: Elekid/Electabuzz/Electivire, Shinx/Luxio/Luxray, Litleo/Pyroar
    • Machairodontinae: Raikou, Entei
  • Pinnipedia: Seel/Dewgong, Spheal/Sealeo/Walrein
  • Ursidae: Munchlax/Snorlax, Teddiursa/Ursaring, Cubchoo/Beartic, Pancham/Pangoro
  • Mustelidae: Sentret/Furret, Buizel/Floatzel, Mienfoo/Mienshao
  • Eupleridae: Sneasel/Weavile
  • Procyonidae: Zigzagoon/Linoone
  • Herpestidae: Zangoose, Patrat/Watchog
  • Mephitidae: Stunky/Skuntank
  • Hyaenidae: Poochyena/Mightyena
• Lagomorpha
  • Leporidae: Igglybuff/Jigglypuff/Wigglytuff, Plusle/Minun, Spinda, Buneary/Lopunny, Audino, Bunnelby/Diggersby
• Chiroptera
  • Molossidae: Zubat/Golbat/Crobat, Hoppip/Skiploom/Jumpluff
  • Phyllostomidae: Woobat/Swoobat
• Primates
  • Hominidae: Mankey/Primeape, Smoochum/Jynx, Slakoth/Vigoroth/Slaking, Sableye, Timburr/Gurdurr/Conkeldurr, Darumaka/Darmanitan
  • Platyrrhini: Aipom/Ambipom
  • Cercopithecidae: Chimchar/Monferno/Infernape, Pansage/Simisage, Pansear/Simisear, Panpour/Simipour
  • Tarsiidae: Mime Jr./Mr. Mime
• Perissodactyla
  • Equidae: Ponyta/Rapidash, Arceus, Blitzle/Zebstrika, Keldeo
  • Tapiridae: Munna/Musharna
• Marsupialia
  • Palorchestidae: Drowzee/Hypno
  • Macropodidae: Kangaskhan
• Monotremata
  • Monotremata incertae sedis: Happiny/Chansey/Blissey
  • Tachyglossidae: Cyndaquil
• Artiodactyla
  • Bovidae: Tauros/Miltank, Bouffalant, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Skiddo/Gogoat
  • Cetacea: Vaporeon, Kyogre
  • Giraffidae: Girafarig
  • Suidae: Swinub/Piloswine/Mamoswine, Tepig/Pignite/Emboar
  • Cervidae: Stantler, Shaymin, Deerling/Sawsbuck, Xerneas
  • Tylopoda: Numel/Camerupt
  • Hippopotamidae: Hippopotas/Hippowdon
  • Cetancodonta incertae sedis: Oshawott/Dewott/Samurott
• Creodonta
  • Creodonta incertae sedis: Quilava/Typhlosion
• Proboscidea
  • Elephantidae: Phanpy/Donphan
• Soricomorpha
  • Talpidae: Diglett/Dugtrio, Drilbur/Excadrill
• Pilosa
  • Vermilingua: Heatmor

BIRDS

• Galloanserae
  • Anseriformes: Farfetch'd, Ducklett/Swanna
  • Galliformes: Pidove/Tranquill/Unfezant
• Aequornithes
  • Suliformes: Spearow/Fearow
  • Ciconiiformes: Zapdos
  • Pelecaniformes: Moltres, Wingull/Pelipper
  • Sphenisciformes: Piplup/Prinplup, Empoleon
• Afroaves
  • Accipitriformes: Pidgeotto/Pidgeot, Murkrow/Honchkrow, Rufflet/Braviary, Vullaby/Mandibuzz
  • Strigiformes: Hoothoot/Noctowl, Delibird
• Unnamed Strisores/Eurypygae clade
  • Caprimulgiformes: Togepi/Togetic/Togekiss
  • Eurypygiformes: Ho-oh
  • Apodiformes: Sigilyph
• Struthioniformes: Doduo/Dodrio
• Eufalconimorphae
  • Passeriformes: Pidgey, Articuno, Taillow/Swellow, Starly/Staravia/Staraptor, Spritzee/Aromatisse
  • Psittaciformes: Natu/Xatu, Chatot
  • Falconiformes: Fletchling/Fletchinder/Talonflame, Yveltal
• Confuciusornithiformes: Hawlucha

REPTILES

• Testudines
  • Testudinidae: Torkoal
  • Testudines incertae sedis: Squirtle/Wartortle/Blastoise
  • Cheloniidae: Tirtouga/Carracosta
• Serpentes
  • Elapidae: Ekans/Arbok
  • Viperidae: Seviper
• Sauropterygia
  • Plesiosauria: Lapras
  • Pliosauria: Wailmer/Wailord
• Lacertilia
  • Anguidae: Dunsparce, Snivy/Servine/Serperior
  • Chamalaeonidae: Kelceon
  • Bipedidae: Rayquaza
  • Scincidae: Heatran
  • Agamidae: Scraggy/Scrafty, Helioptile/Heliolisk
• Dinosauria
  • Theropoda
    • Maniraptora
      • Dromaeosauridae: Archen/Archeops
      • Oviraptorosauria
        • Avimimidae: Psyduck/Golduck, Torchic/Combusken/Blaziken
        • Oviraptoridae: Palkia
      • Therizinosauridae: Shroomish/Breloom, Snover/Abomasnow
      • Tyrannosauridae: Tyrunt/Tyrantrum
    • Noasauridae: Cubone/Marowak
    • Ceratosauridae: Groudon
    • Spinosauridae: Totodile/Croconaw/Feraligatr, Sandile/Krokorok/Krookodile
    • Megalosauridae: Larvitar/Tyranitar
    • Dilophosauridae: Treecko/Grovyle/Sceptile
    • Carcharodontosauridae: Gible/Gabite/Garchomp
  • Ornithopoda
    • Iguanodontia
      • Dryosauridae: Spoink/Grumpig
      • Iguanodontidae: Lickitung/Lickilicky
      • Hadrosauridae: Magby/Magmar/Magmortar, Whismur/Loudred/Exploud
    • Hypsilophodontidae: Mareep/Flaaffy/Ampharos
    • Leaellynasaurdiae: Smeargle
  • Sauropoda: Chikorita/Bayleef/Meganium, Tropius, Dialga, Amaurga/Aurorus
  • Ankylosauria: Turtwig/Grotle/Torterra, Bergmite/Avalugg
  • Marginocephalia
    • Ceratopsia
      • Ceratopsia incertae sedis (Leptoceratopsidae?): Mawile
      • Psittacosauridae: Axew/Fraxure/Haxorus
      • Ceratopsidae: Aron/Lairon/Aggron, Shieldon/Bastiodon
    • Pachycephalosauridae: Cranidos/Rampardos
• Pterosauria
  • Dsungaripterygidae: Aerodactyl
  • Azhdarchidae: Lugia
  • Wukongopterygidae: Noibat/Noivern
  • Pterosauria incertae sedis: Reshiram
• Dracones (a new clade for hexapods): Charmander/Charmeleon/Charizard, Flygon, Bagon/Shelgon/Salamence, Latias/Latios, Druddigon, Zekrom, Kyurem

SYNAPSIDS

• Estemmenosuchiade: Nidoran/Nidorino/Nidoking/Nidorina/Nidoqueen, Rhyhorn/Rhydon/Rhyperior
• Synapsida incertae sedis: Bulbasaur/Ivysaur/Venusaur

AMPHIBIANS

• Anura: Poliwag/Poliwhirl/Poliwrath/Politoed, Croagunk/Toxicroak, Tympole/Paliptoad/Seismitoad, Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja
• Caudata: Slowpoke/Slowbro/Slowking, Dratini/Dragonair/Dragonite, Wooper/Quagsire
• Gymnophonia: Onix/Steelix
• Temnospondyli: Mudkip/Marshtomp/Swampert, Lotad/Lombre/Ludicolo

FISH

• Teleostei
  • Acanthopterygii
    • Syngnathiformes: Horsea/Seadra/Seaking, Skrelp/Dragalge
    • Tetraodontiformes: Qwilfish, Alomomola
    • Perciformes: Luvdisc, Finneon/Lumineon, Remoraid, Basculin, Stunfisk
  • Lophiiformes: Chinchou/Lanturn
  • Ostariophysi
    • Cypriniformes: Goldeen/Seaking, Magikarp/Gyarados
    • Siluriformes: Barboach/Whiscash
  • Lampriformes: Feebass/Milotic
  • Saccopharyngiformes: Huntail
• Sarcopterygii: Relicanth
• Chondrichthyes
  • Batoidea: Mantyke/Mantine
  • Selachiformes: Carvanha/Sharpedo
  • Chimaeriformes: Gorebyss
• Petromyzontiformes: Tynamo/Eelektrik/Eelektross

ARTHROPODS

• Brachyura: Krabby/Kingler, Dwebble/Crustle
• Crustacea incertae sedis: Corphish/Crawdaunt, Clauncher/Clawitzer
• Cirripedia: Binacle/Barbaracle
• Dinocaridida: Anorith
• Arachnida: Gligar/Gliscor, Skorupi/Drapion, Spinarak/Ariados, Beldum/Metang/Metagross, Joltik/Galvantula
• Myriapoda: Venipede/Whirlipede/Scolipede
• Trilobita: Kabuto
• Insecta
  • Endopterygota
    • Lepidoptera: Caterpie/Metapod/Butterfree, Silicoon/Beautifly, Venonat/Venomoth, Pineco/Forretress, Cascoon/Dustox, Burmy/Wormadam/Mothim, Larvesta/Volcarona, Scatterbug/Spewpa/Vivillon
    • Hymenoptera: Weedle/Kakuna/Beedrill, Combee/Vespiquen, Durant
    • Coeloptera: Pinsir, Ledyba/Ledian, Heracross, Volbeat/Illumise, Karrablast/Escavalier
    • Neuroptera: Trapinch/Vibrava
  • Odonata: Yanma/Yanmega
  • Ephemoptera: Surskit/Masquerain
  • Embioptera: Sewaddle/Swadloon/Leavanny
  • Exopterygota
    • Mantodea: Kabuto/Kabutops
    • Hemiptera: Paras/Parasect (the insects), Nincada/Ninjask/Shedinja
    • Orthoptera: Kricketot/Kricketune

MOLLUSCS

• Teuthida: Drifloon/Drifblim, Inkay/Malamar
• Octopoda: Octillery
• Cephalopoda incertae sedis: Litwick/Lampent/Chandelure
• Bivalvia: Shellder/Cloyster, Clamperl
• Ammonoidea: Omanyte/Omastar
• Gastropoda: Slugma/Magcargo, Shellos/Gastrodon, Phione/Manaphy, Goomy/sliggoo
• Mollusca incertae sedis: Shelmet/Accelgor

OTHER INVERTEBRATES

• Asteroidea: Staryu/Starmie
• Tunicata: Lileep/Cradily
• Placozoa: Ditto, Gulpin/Swalot
• Cnidaria: Tentacool/Tentacruel, Corsola, Frillish/Jellicent, Vanillish/Vanillite/Vanilluxe
• Graptolithina: Cofagrigus?

PROTISTS

• Amoebozoa: Solosis/Duosion/Reuniclus

FUNGI

• Myxogastria: Grimer/Muk, Shuckle
• Sordariomycetes: Paras/Parasect (the fungi)

VIRUSES

• Rotom

 

[Skittypaws]

Wow, not sure what to think. I like it though.

 

[Karpi]

Can you explain why you put Onix and Steelix in with the amphibians and not with Serpentes?

 

[Gudon44]

Can you explain why you put Onix and Steelix in with the amphibians and not with Serpentes?

Giant snake-like creatures that burrow through the ground. I was reminded of Minhocao, which is a giant snake-like thing from Brazilian folklore that burrows through the ground. Minhocao is sometimes argued to be a giant caecilian (which is a type of legless amphibian), so in Amphibia they go. Most snakes don't burrow, by the way.

 

[reynard]

^But Onix and Steelix are called the "Rock Snake" and "Iron Snake" Pokemon. Their designs were based on serpents or earthworms or wyrms. And since amphibians live on land and water, it's sort of weird to put the Onix line in that category. Not that this list isn't impressive, but I just don't see that fitting.

And why is Rotom in the Virus category? I wouldn't necessarily say it's a virus of any sort.

 

[Dorothy LaRouge]

Onix and Steelix are consistently described as snakes, so I don't think grouping them with the caecilians is accurate, although I absolutely see your reasoning for doing so. This list also places too much emphasis on evolutionary lineage, IMO - Remoraid should be classified under family Echeneidae to be accurate, regardless of the fact that it evolves into Octillery (which is due to the gun -> cannon visual gag rather than anything biologically significant).

Still, this is a good list. Props.

 

[Gudon44]

And why is Rotom in the Virus category? I wouldn't necessarily say it's a virus of any sort.

Rotom's general structure brought to mind the T4 virus, and how it "infects" appliances.

Remoraid should be classified under family Echeneidae to be accurate, regardless of the fact that it evolves into Octillery (which is due to the gun -> cannon visual gag rather than anything biologically significant).

Unless Remoraid is a really, really weird juvenile cephalopod that imitates a fish, I agree with you. Allow me to edit the list.

 

[Paleo]

Actually, there is a biological link between Remoraid and Octillery. Remoraid is based on a remora, a fish with a suction cup on its back to stick to whales and manta rays and eat bits of food that escape the host's gaping mouth. Therefore it makes quite some sense that it should evolve into another marine animal which has more suction cups: an octopus

Remoraid should still be in a different group than Octillery though, but I see that's been taken care of already :thumbup:

 

[Gudon44]

The Onix/Steelix as caecilians shouldn't be the thing you guys get worked up against - look through, there are more classifications that make even less sense (for example, pliosaur Wailord)

Worked on Gens. 5-6

 

[Doctor Floptopus]

Since when was mareep a reptile? And also, where are ralts & co? They deserve a place on this list.

 

[reynard]

Since when was mareep a reptile? And also, where are ralts & co? They deserve a place on this list.

Agreed. Mareep and its line are based on a sheep, so it is clearly mammalian. Also, Zorua and Zoroark (or Zoroark is anyway), but they are clearly based on foxes, and so they should belong with the other vulpine Pokemon.

 

[Gudon44]

Since when was mareep a reptile? And also, where are ralts & co? They deserve a place on this list.

Agreed. Mareep and its line are based on a sheep, so it is clearly mammalian. Also, Zorua and Zoroark (or Zoroark is anyway), but they are clearly based on foxes, and so they should belong with the other vulpine Pokemon.

Since when are sheep bipedal and/or have long tails? Ampharos seems to be either a kangaroo or an ornithopod. As small ornithopod dinosaurs are now thought to have had primitive feather-like coverings, I grouped Ampharos with them - Mareep/Flaaffy's "wool" is made of downy protofeathers. Plus, Denryu also means "electric dragon" and Mega Ampharos is dragon-typed. And now that I look at Ampharos, its head looks rather beak-like. Refer to this DeviantArt picture for another interpretation of Ampharos as a bipedal herbivorous dinosaur.

Ralts's line seems too humanoid and/or of ambiguous origin - the best I could come up for Gardevoir is some form of jellyfish. And a transition to bipedality is unlikely to evolve twice in canines, so I grouped all bipedal canines together in one clade that evolved to be bipedal.

 

[ocelotlrama jaguar]

This looks great! You really outdid yourself on this one! I'm kind of curious where you are going to put the super humanoid-looking Pokemon like Mr. Mime and Jynx, since they are technically based off of mammals (humans are mammals). I am also curious about the inanimate object Pokemon. Now you got me interested.

 

[Gudon44]

I'm kind of curious where you are going to put the super humanoid-looking Pokemon like Mr. Mime and Jynx, since they are technically based off of mammals (humans are mammals). I am also curious about the inanimate object Pokemon.

The super-humanoid pokemon are hard to do, they were probably the worst. Mr. Mime's "fingers" remind me of a tarsier's toes. Jynx is probably a gorilla-like animal. The best I could think of for Gardevoir is some form of jellyfish or squid.

The inanimate objects... hoo boy. A lot look radial in appearance, so possibly cephalopods, jellyfish, or graptolites. Chandelure's line looks like a cephalopod of sorts, Vanillite a jellyfish (with the "cone" being the tentacles), and Cofagrigus possibly a graptolite or siphonophore. Klinklang's line... oh man.

 

[Karpi]

I'm kind of curious where you are going to put the super humanoid-looking Pokemon like Mr. Mime and Jynx, since they are technically based off of mammals (humans are mammals). I am also curious about the inanimate object Pokemon.

The super-humanoid pokemon are hard to do, they were probably the worst. Mr. Mime's "fingers" remind me of a tarsier's toes. Jynx is probably a gorilla-like animal. The best I could think of for Gardevoir is some form of jellyfish or squid.

The inanimate objects... hoo boy. A lot look radial in appearance, so possibly cephalopods, jellyfish, or graptolites. Chandelure's line looks like a cephalopod of sorts, Vanillite a jellyfish (with the "cone" being the tentacles), and Cofagrigus possibly a graptolite or siphonophore. Klinklang's line... oh man.

So, focusing on Chandelure here. I don't necessarily think the *shape* of it is important. It's clearly a ghost possessing a chandelier. It just happens that this species of ghost has developed abilities that pair nicely with the chandelier's separate arms that hold energy.

Banette is even directly stated to be this: a spirit that possesses a doll. The spirit itself isn't a doll, so the shape of the doll doesn't really have any bearing on its species classification.

Ghosts are hard for this reason. Maybe you can't really classify them.

 

[Gudon44]

So, focusing on Chandelure here. I don't necessarily think the *shape* of it is important. It's clearly a ghost possessing a chandelier. It just happens that this species of ghost has developed abilities that pair nicely with the chandelier's separate arms that hold energy.

Banette is even directly stated to be this: a spirit that possesses a doll. The spirit itself isn't a doll, so the shape of the doll doesn't really have any bearing on its species classification.

Ghosts are hard for this reason. Maybe you can't really classify them.

Yeah. Since you can't really classify a possessive spirit, I just went off of Chandelure's general body shape.

 

[Doctor Floptopus]

The inanimate objects... hoo boy.

Why not just make an inanimate/undead section for inanimate objects and ghostly Pokemon alike?

 

[Peaceful Giraffe]

I would think all of Eevee's line would be in one catagory?

 

[Gudon44]

I would think all of Eevee's line would be in one catagory?

Since Espeon resembles a cat, Vaporeon seems closest to a primitive whale, and the rest are canines, I propose they are unrelated, and their young look similar due to convergence.

 

[Saturnidae]

Gudon44

I think you're my blood brother.

Anyway, I'm going to make a couple of assertions here. First of all, I would classify both Surskit and Masquerain as hemipteroids. Surskit is undeniably drawn from Gerridae, no argument there. Masquerain is most likely based on a fulgoridae; the infamous "laturn bugs." Many fulgoridae employ similar strategies of aposematic mimicry, and have a "horn" similar to Masquerain, that serves a similar purpose as Masquerain's antennae. Fulgorids, like the gerridae, are in hemiptera. There is one obvious problem however, no fulgorid (or any other hemipteran as far as I know) has an aquatic larval stage that switches to strictly aerial upon metamorphosing. In fact, hemipterans don't metamorphosize at all. So based on this life history, I can see (begrudgingly) why you might put them in Odonata. However, Odonata is simply one of several nueropteroid orders that go through such a life style, and there are others that suite Masquerain better; most notably Ephemoptera, and possibly Trichoptera.

I would put Yanma and Yanmega in Meganisoptera instead of Odonata, primarily because of their size and yanma's method of evolution. However, they both appear to posses a pterostigma.. so perhaps your odonata theory isn't so bad after all.

The Onix/Steelix as caecilians shouldn't be the thing you guys get worked up against - look through, there are more classifications that make even less sense (for example, pliosaur Wailord)

I was going to bring this up, but I see you already did XD I agree that Onix isn't a snake, but I actually think it's an amphibaesnian instead of a caecillian. The two are very similar except amphisbaenia are reptiles and generally prefer dry parts of the world, whereas caecillians are amphibians and are restricted to the moist tropics. Onix and Steelix seem to be reptiles that like dry places. But they are absolutely not snakes, mostly because of the burrowing lifestyle which has been perfected by the caecillians and amphys (you have no idea how annoying amphisbaenia is to write out -_- I'm calling them amphys XD) and because of the clear division of their bodies into rings. They're referred to as snakes simply because most people don't know what in the f*** an amphisbaenian or caecillian is XD. It's like sandslash/sandshrew; they're both obviously based on pangolins, and to a certain extent armadillos, but people don't know those animals, so they're referred to as "mice" so people can identify them.

Anyway, while I think your placement of Gliscor and Gligar in Chiroptera is fairly interesting... I have to disagree. The segmentation of gliscor's body,the pedipalps, and their placement in the bug egg group all point to them being arthropods. Most likely they are true scorpions that have been modified heavily for a limited range of flight.

Shuckle, is almost certainly not a reptile O__O" In fact, it's probably actually a fungus and doesn't even belong in a taxonomic discussion about animals...

I think your placement of Rayquaza in Bipedae is amazing. Serperior, however, may instead be based on certain skinks or lacertids, considering there are no amphisbaenians with more than one pair of legs. Basically, it can't be in Bipedae unless it only has two legs. There are quite a few legless skink species that could be the origin.

I know very very little about dinosaur taxonomy.... however I will assert that Haxorus and it's pre evolutions are probably based off psittacosaurids.

Paras and Parasect are definitely insects, particularly those species that are prone to being infected by parasitic fungus. Their body forms seem to indicate they are some sort of hemiptera, perhaps in a state of permanent neoteny due to their fungi.

I'm not sure why Binacle and Barbaracle are incertae sedis; aren't they cirripedia? (Barnacles??)

I've always considered lapras a turtle, mostly because of the shell, the lack of teeth, and the "beak" like mouth. Not even mentioning wailord because we both know it's a cectacean. You and I can dream of the day we have a real Pliosaur pokemon though. XD

Anyways, these are the other bug types I wanted to mention.

Mantodea- Scyther/Scizor.
I'm kind of surprised you didn't already include these two as mantids "
Embioptera- Leavanny
While I'm not trying to dispute Leavanny as being at least partially based off leaf mimicking phasmids/mantids, I actually think it belongs with the Embiina/embioptera for the parental care it exhibits, and its ability to create silk.
Nueroptera- Trapinch line
They're antlions right? XD Definitly neuroptera.


And...... that's it for tonight, I've been writing for an hour and I'm done for now lol. I have to say this is a great idea and I LOVE to argue about taxonomy so I'll be back :3