describing and arranging organisms

Question 1

important tasks of biological classification

Answer 1

• compiling an inventory of diversity
• providing a scientific name to each species and grouping
• disginguishing species

Question 2

essentialism vs population thinking

Answer 2

essentialism: objects are imperfect versions of perfect reality
population: variation in nature is in terms of reproduction
- fit species into higher natural groupings

Question 3

artificial vs natural classification

Answer 3

artificial: group defining attributes do not correlate with other attributes
natural: group defining attributes do correlate with others

Question 4

plant systematics- first modern works in natural history

Answer 4

descriptive botany and zoology: compelled natural historians to go beyond ancient authors: printing, greater interest in nature

• zoologists mostly interested in function and adaptation
• botonists interested in identification and classification

Question 5

Theophrastus (pupil of aristotle) and Dioscorides (greek physician)

Answer 5

two most famous botanists of ancient world of ancient world
- decribed about 500-600 plants
16th century described 500 plants
17th century had 18,000 plants to organize

Question 6

Luca Ghini: 1490-1556

Answer 6

invention of the herbarium i

- plant specimans can be stored indefinitely, remainiing in their living condition

Question 7

George-Louis Leclerc, Comte De Buffon: 1707-1788

Answer 7

Buffon was a french naturalist

• published 36 volumes of natural history and was director of royal botanical garden
• famous

Question 8

four basic beleifs

Answer 8

theism
deism
pantheism
atheism

Question 9

theism

Answer 9

belief system centered around 1+ gods who are conscious beings with creative powers, plans, intentions and an ongoing involvement with the world and with humanity in particular
most religious except buddhism

Question 10

deism

Answer 10

belief in consicous divine being who served as cosmic designer but no interest in humanity
- divinity built into reality but no miracles

Question 11

pantheism

Answer 11

there are no divine beings or conscious entities in a supernatural realm but the world and its order and beauty are of spiritual life

Question 12

atheism

Answer 12

beleif that gods do not exist or insufficifent evidence for existence to accept any beleif centred around them

Question 13

topics in natural history

Answer 13

geology, minerals, orgin of life, embryology, physiology, biogeography, functional anatomy, systematics, mammals, birds, anthropology, sociology, cultural history, fish, whales

Question 14

what other issues did buffon contribute to

Answer 14

classification: species level
biogeography: founded study of biogeography

Question 15

interior mould

Answer 15

Buffons view- there was a seperate genesis by spontaneous generation of each form of life in each area leading to unchangable interior mould of each species