biodiversity Flashcards
what is phylogeny
The study of the evolutionary history of groups of organisms.
what does phylogeny tell us
Whether organisms are related
How closely related organisms are related
what is a species
A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
explain a phylogenetic tree
The first branch shows an extinct organism who is a common ancestor to all organisms on the tree
Every following branch point represents another common ancestor from which a different group “diverged”
what is taxonomy
the science of classification
what is classification
The organisation of living organisms into groups
what are the two types of classification
artificial and phylogenetic
what is artificial classification
known as analogous characteristics e.g. colour, size, number of legs, leaf shape
what is phylogenetic classification
Based upon evolutionary relationships
Classified based on shared features derived from ancestors
Arranges groups into a hierarchy, in which groups are contained within larger groups (with no overlap)
what are the 8 groups used to classify organisms
domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
what are the 3 domains
Eukarya, Bacteria and Archaea
explain the binominal system
The first part of the name is the genus, beginning with a capital letter, the second part of the name is the species, beginning with lower case
Courtship behaviours ensure…
Successful reproduction
How do courtship behaviours ensure successful reproduction
Allows individuals to:
Recognise members of the same species(only way to produce fertile offspring)
Identify a male that is capable of breeding (both need to be sexually mature)
Form a pair bond (leads to successful mating and raising of offspring)
Synchronise mating (ensuring it occurs during maximum probability of sperm and egg meeting)
What can courtship behaviours be used for
To classify species as behaviours are specific - more closely related a species the more similar their courtship behaviour
What is biodiversity
A measure of the variety of living organisms within a particular region
What is species richness
Number of different species in a particular area at a given time
What is a problem with species richness
An area might have a large number et species but 99% of individuals be part or one species
What is species diversity
Number of different species and number of individuals in each species
What is agriculture
The science of farming
What impact would increasing farmland through woodland clearance have on biodiversity
Reduces number of trees and tree species
Destroys habitats
Reduces biodiversity
What impact would farmers selecting one particular species have on biodiversity
Large numbers so they out compete eachother
Reduces biodiversity
Now would the use of pesticides affect biodiversity
Species feeding on pests lose food source
Bioaccumulation
Reduces biodiversity
How could the use or herbicides affect biodiversity
Species feeding on weeds lose food source
Reduces plant biodiversity
