Explanation:
In the early stages of classification, the earliest classification systems were considered artificial because they separated closely related species. This means that similar species were placed in different categories, which did not accurately reflect their natural affinities or relationships.

Reasoning:
The classification of organisms is based on the principle of grouping them according to their similarities and differences. This helps in identifying and organizing different species into broader categories. However, in the earliest classification systems, the focus was primarily on external characteristics and not on the evolutionary relationships between species.

Key Point:
The classification systems were considered artificial because they did not reflect the natural affinities or relationships between species.

Details:
- The earliest classification systems were based on the external appearances of organisms and did not take into account their evolutionary relationships.
- Closely related species, which should have been grouped together, were often placed in different categories based on external characteristics.
- This led to an artificial grouping of species, where organisms that were actually closely related were separated.
- For example, animals that had similar physical features but belonged to different groups were not classified together, which did not accurately represent their natural affinities.
- These early classification systems were primarily descriptive and relied on subjective judgments rather than objective criteria.
- The artificial nature of these systems became apparent as more knowledge about the evolutionary relationships between species was gained through the study of genetics and molecular biology.
- Later classification systems, such as the Linnaean system developed by Carl Linnaeus, took into account both the external characteristics and the evolutionary relationships between species.
- These systems aimed to create a more natural classification that reflected the true relationships between organisms.
- The artificial nature of the earliest classification systems highlights the importance of considering both physical characteristics and evolutionary relationships when classifying organisms.