2: Evolution and conservation

Question 1

Give some examples of why species are going extinct

Answer 1

Human activities change the environ
Habitat loss
Climate change
Pollution
Invasive species

Question 2

What are the consequences of anthropological changes to environs?

Answer 2

Reduced pop. size
Extinction of pop.s
Extinction of species
Loss of ecosystems

Question 3

Give 3 examples of whole scale extinctions due to human activities

Answer 3

The Dodo, hunted to extinction

The Great auk, prized for collection, very rare → pushed to extinction in 19th c.

Chinese river dolphin, declared extinct in 2006 → due to overfishing and pollution

Question 4

Compare the current causes of extinction to historic causes

Answer 4

Historic:
- Human exploitation
- Introduced species
- Habitat loss
= all contribute the same

Currently
- Habitat loss is the biggest cause

Question 5

Describe why understanding extinction is important to conservation + example

Answer 5

Some species are more likely to become extinct than others - due to phyologeny, ecology, location

E.g the Dodo

Question 6

Why could it have been predicted that the Dodo would go extinct?

Answer 6

Only lived on one island, reduced dispersal due to flightlessness
Lost all antipredator behaviours e.g flightless, so introduction of predators e.g humans is high risk

Question 7

Describe phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC)

+ example

Answer 7

Species inherit their niches from ancestors
Closely related species ecologically similar
Share similar life-histories

E.g Old World Warblers, all evolved from a common ancestor and so have very similar ecology and appearance

Question 8

What are the consequences of PNC?

Answer 8

• Closely related species share similar levels of threat due to ecological similarity
• Low rates of adaptability: conservatism is a consequence of this
• Low rates of evolution: also conservatism results from this

Question 9

Define phylogenetic diversity

Answer 9

the total amount of history shared by a group of species

Question 10

Describe why phylodiversity can be used to prioritise conservation efforts

Answer 10

Some areas and groups = more/less adaptable in the face of threats
Some areas contain more unique species than others
Phylogenies contain unequal distributions of species
Based on phylogenetic info can prioritise conservation efforts

Question 11

What should conservation aim to to in regards to phylodiversity?

Answer 11

• Conservation should aim to conserve as wide a range of phylogenetic diversity as possible
• Focus away from species rich groups in which individual species are threatened
• Focus on evolutionarily distinct species
  (Because phylogenetic diversity correlates with genetic and functional diversity)