Chapter 1 & 55 Flashcards
Hypothesis
proposed explanation for a phenomenon or set of observations
You can test it and you can prove it wrong
Theory
proposed explanation for a general set of observations of phenomenon
Can’t test it, can’t prove it wrong and is based on well substantiated evidence
Cell Theory
Hooke , 1665
All organisms are made of cells
Virchow, 1858
All cells come from preexisting cells
Contradicted spontaneous generation
Pasteur Experiment for spontaneous generation versus cell theory
Show that all organisms come from a common ancestor
Theory of Evolution by Natural selection
Darwin and Wallace, 1858
All species are related to each other by a common ancestor
Meaning all species can change through time
Process of evolution: natural selection
The adaptations of heritable traits that increase an individuals fitness will be passed on more frequently
Species Definitions
Biological species Concept: reproductive isolation
Morpho species concept: differences in morphological features
Phylogenetic species concept: separate monophyletic groups of clades
Biological species Concept
reproductive isolation
Morpho species concept
differences in morphological features
Phylogenetic species concept
separate monophyletic groups of clades
Taxonomy
Linnaeus, 1735
Currently: King Philip Came Over For Good Soup
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
How are the trees organized
Cladistic vs phenetic
Principle of Parsimony: if you hear hooves think horses not zebras
Cladistic
attempts to classify organisms based on their evolutionary lineage.
Phenetics
attempts to classify organisms based on overall similarity, typically in morphology, without regard for their evolutionary relationships
Principle of Parsimony
the principle that entities should not be multiplied needlessly; the simplest of two competing theories is to be preferred
if you hear hooves think horses not zebras
Biodiversity
Diversity of the Number of Species
Diversity of Species
Diversity of genetic information
Diversity of habitat and physical conditions
Biodiversity Measurement
Genetic Diversity
Species Diversity
Ecosystem Diversity
Biodiversity patterns
Species richness is
highest in tropical areas
lowest in the poles
hotspots vs coldspots
Hot spots
Areas of extremely high biodiversity
Regions and ecosystems vary
Big for conservation purposes
Endemic Species
Species that are only found in one area
Hotspots and endemics
Why conserve them?
We use the endemic species and the loss of these species to measure urgency of conservation need.
Threats
Many scientists believe that we are in the sixth major extinction
Invasive species
Habitat loss
Overexploitation
Climate change
Competition/Predation
Natural reasons
