CH 5&6 Flashcards
The first appearance in the fossil record of many animal phyla, within a relatively short (
Cambrian explosion
Southern of the two large continents that existed in the early Mesozoic
Gondwana
An organism that resides within the cells of a host species
Endosymbionts
Northern of the two large continents that existed in the early Mesozoic
Laurasia
Highly elevated rate of extinction of species, extending over an interval that is relatively short on a geological time scale
Mass extinction
Locations in which species have persisted while becoming extinct elsewhere
Refugia
Single large “world continent” formed by coalescence of land masses in the Paleozoic
Pangea
Major geographic regions of earth that have characteristic animals and plant taxa
Biogeographic realm
The study of the geographic distribution of organisms
Biogeography
Distributions have gaps
Disjunct distribution
In population biology, movement of individual organism to different localities; in biogeography, extension of the geographic range of a species by movement of individuals
Dispersal
Addresses current factors that affect present distributions
Ecological biogeography
Range of combinations of all relevant environmental variables under which a species of population can persist; often more loosely used to describe the “role” of a species, or the resource it utilizes
Ecological niche (fundamental, potential, realized)
Of a taxon, restricted to a specific region or locality
Endemic
Study of historical changes in the geographic distribution of organisms, including those that affect their present distribution
Historical biogeography