Yes, and if we were to most crudely distinguish between sub-groups of 'bugs whales and cows' we would do it first and foremost based on immediate appearance.

We would even name the sub-groups firstly the artifacts that differentiate them physically.

Blue Whale, Grey Whale

Black Bear, Brown Bear.

As we develop a better understanding, we'd also probably later determine that the genetic differences may not map very well to the physical attributes ... but due to historical groupings based on visual cues, we'd continue to overstate/understate the differences in the textbooks and in pop culture.