Coexistence, Biodiversity + Ecosystem Services

Question 1

How old is the Earth

Answer 1

4.54 bill years

Question 2

Who is the father of biogeography

Answer 2

alfred russel wallace

Question 3

Define endemics

Answer 3

groups found only in one particular region.
(73% mammalian families are endemic to one faunal regions)

Question 4

What are the 4 main major factors influencing evolution/species distribution

Answer 4

1. continental drift
2. glaciations
3. when did the species or group give rise and where
4. characteristics of the species

Question 5

What is the evidence for the continental drift

Answer 5

1. fossils
2. current distribution (disjunction) of extant biota
3. landmasses formed supercontinent pangea
4. coastlines/plates fit together
5. continents float on fluid upper mantle

Question 6

explain pangea forming (1)

Answer 6

appalachians and ural mountains form from plates colliding
oceans unite to form global panthalassic ocean

Question 7

TIMELINE?! (9)

Answer 7

1. pangea forms
2. pangea begins to break apart
3. gondwana separates into SA and africa
4. australia and antarctica separate
5. india and eurasia collide forming himalayas
6. africa and eurasia collide to form alps
7. pacific and SA collide to form andes
8. rising of isthmus
9. pleistocene glaciations

Question 8

Explain Cenozoic Tectonics

Answer 8

formation of mountain ranges and reconnection of isolated continents

Question 9

Define dispersal vs. vicariance

Answer 9

dispersal = movement from one place to another
vicariance = the formation of a barrier that causes the splitting of a population into two or more

Question 10

Explain what you would expect in dispersal hypothesis vs. vicariance hypothesis

Answer 10

vicariance hypothesis expect individuals to separate in correspondence to the breakup of land:
madagascar and india, then seychelles and india last

Question 11

What is the spread of individuals limited by

Answer 11

1. dispersal capacities
2. extent and type of barriers
3. time
4. climate

Question 12

Why is the rising of isthmus important to evolution

Answer 12

connected NA and SA that allowed for species to overcome water barrier (great american biotic interchange)

Question 13

Explain Pleistocene glaciations

Answer 13

repeated glaciations that caused cooler temperatures in areas of glaciation but warmer temperatures in areas without glaciations. caused changes to prevailing winds and precipitation creating new combinations and environments

Question 14

What is Beringia

Answer 14

land bridge connecting Neartic and Paleartic which was a major source of colonists

Question 15

What evidence was used for explaining contemporary patterns and reconstructing biogeography history

Answer 15

1. fossil data
2. current distribution
3. geology
4. DNA

Question 16

What are the 2 types of barriers

Answer 16

1. physical
2. ecological

Question 17

Explain physical barriers and examples

Answer 17

inhospitable habitat that is outside the environmental tolerance of an organism
ex. mountain ranges, oceans, desert, etc.

Question 18

Explain ecological barriers and examples

Answer 18

barriers that are not physical that prevent the area being suitable for an organism
ex. species interactions, natal philopatry, lack of food resource, etc.

Question 19

What are the 3 ways to overcome barriers and briefly explain each

Answer 19

1. corridors = area of suitable habitat that allows species to move between regions
2. filters = more restrictive than corridors that only allow some species through
3. sweepstakes routes

Question 20

What is bergmann’s rule and explain

Answer 20

body size increases with latitude
(because larger bodies can regulate temperature better)

Question 21

What is lack’s rule

Answer 21

the number of offspring increase with latitude
(because higher variety of conditions near latitudes than equator so want more offspring to increase chances of survival)

Question 22

What are 4 other rules

Answer 22

1. fish have more vertebrae in colder water (temperature regulation)
2. length of appendages decrease with latitude (to regulate temperature better)
3. fur colour is darker with humidity (related to cryptic behaviour)
4. fewer pelagic larvae with decreasing latitudes (to increase changes of survival with variety of conditions)