12/ evolution and conservation Flashcards
what makes conservation necessary
- human activities that change the environment
- habitat loss
- climate change
- pollution
- invasive species
how do historic causes of extinction compare to modern causes
- historic: similar between human exploitation, introduced species and habitat loss. mainly introduced species
- current: mainly habitat loss. other 2 less
phylogenetic niche conservatism
- species inherit their niches from ancestors
- closely related species are ecologically similar and share similar life histories
consequences of phylogenetic niche conservatism
- closely related species share similar levels of threat bc their ecologically similar
- low rates of adaptability and evolution
IUCN threat levels
Extinct, extinct in wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threat, least concern
what factor most correlates w extinction threat
geographic range sizes
what is phylogenetic conservatism
measured by looking to see whether evolutionary distance correlates w differences in traits
which of geographic range size, body size, gestation time, trophic level, ICUN threat correlate w phylogenetic conservatism, what does this suggest
- all except geographic range size
- phylogeny is a moderately good predictor of extinction threat
niche conservatism in mammals - tropics
- evolution is faster outside of the tropics
- niche conservatism is greater in the tropic
phylogenetic diversity
total amount of history shared by a group of species
how can phylogenetic diversity be useful in conservation
- record species in a set of areas
- generate a phylogeny for the species
- calculate phylogenetic diversity
- prioritise accordingly
what should be prioritised in conservation
- evolutionarily distinct species
- bc phylogenetic diversity correlates w genetic and functional diversity
