Biogeography and Evolution (Post midterm 1)

Question 1

What are the two evolutionary hypothesis as to why species are distributed as they are?

Answer 1

• vicariance
• dispersal

Question 2

If animals can’t evolve, how should we see species distributed across the planet?

Answer 2

species should occur where their habitats are, as they have set adaptations for specific climate

Question 3

What are the great facts of life?

Answer 3

1. regions with identical climate will have different floras and faunas
2. geographic barriers are closely associated with breaks between taxonomic groups
3. within a region, organisms are often closely related even across environmental gradients and lower taxonomic groups often show narrower distributions than higher.

Question 4

describe what the first great facts of life means.

Answer 4

• it means that we have different species in areas with identical climate due to convergent evolution
• Organisms ADAPT to their environment, separately and individually.

Question 5

What does the second great fact of life mean

Answer 5

• it means that physical barriers and distance in an environment will allow us to recognize distinct, different species.

Question 6

what are 4 major patterns with biogeography?

Answer 6

• geographic regions have characteristic biotas
• closely related taxa tend to be closer together than more distantly related groups
• similar environments are found in different areas BUT the same species may not be found in all places where they could be
• unrelated species in similar environments may appear similar due to convergence