Editing Identification key (section)

{{Short description|Method of Biological categorization}}
In [[biology]], an '''identification key''', '''taxonomic key''', or frequently just '''key''', is a printed or computer-aided device that aids in the [[identification (biology)|identification]] of biological organisms.

Historically, the most common type of identification key is the '''dichotomous key''', a type of [[single-access key]] which offers a fixed sequence of identification steps, each with two alternatives. The earliest examples of identification keys originate in the seventeenth, but their conceptual history can be traced back to antiquity. Modern [[multi-access key|multi-access]] keys allow the user to freely choose the identification steps and any order. They were traditionally performed using punched cards but now almost exclusively take the form of computer programs.