What are dichotomous keys? Complete guide

Dichotomous keys are fundamental tools in biology for identifying organisms. They work through a series of binary questions—each question offers exactly two options—that guide the user step by step until the organism is identified.

History and origin

The concept of the dichotomous key was developed in the 18th century by botanists such as Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Since then, they have become the standard for taxonomic identification in botany, zoology, mycology, and other biological disciplines.

How do they work?

Each step of a dichotomous key presents two mutually exclusive options. The user observes the organism's characteristics and chooses the option that best fits. Each choice leads to another pair of options or to the final identification.

Digitization with AI

WildKeys transforms traditional dichotomous keys (in PDF or paper format) into interactive digital tools. Using artificial intelligence, the system extracts the key's structure from PDF documents, generates an interactive decision tree, and automatically links to the glossary of terms.

Advantages of digital keys

• Intuitive navigation without prior experience required
• Instant contextual definitions of technical terms
• Reference images for each step
• Ability to go back and correct decisions
• Access from any device
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