Diversity and phylogenetics

Question 1

What is biological diversity

Answer 1

The variability among living organisms from all
ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part of.

Question 2

What are examples of biological resources

Answer 2

Genetic resources, populations, or any biotic component of ecosystems with actual or
potential use or value for humanity.

Question 3

What are the levels of diversity

Answer 3

• morphological
• functional
• biochemical
• genetic (molecular)
• ecological
• taxonomical
• geographical
• embryo development
• behavioural
• life cycles

Question 4

How can we test for Genetic diversity

Answer 4

• Genome content (c-value)
• Number of genes
• Genome structure (chromosome and number, position of genes)
• Various regions
• Amount of coding/non-coding DNA (protein-coding or nonprotein-coding DNA)

Question 5

What is the c-value (genome contents) and units

Answer 5

c-value = haploid DNA content per nucleus (pg) picograms

Question 6

What is the source of genetic diversity

Answer 6

Mutations (incl. point mutations, copy number variations, deletions and insertions)
* Chromosomal changes (re-arrangement, translocation, loss, duplication, etc.)
* Recombination

Question 7

Genetic diversity at various levels

Answer 7

• Genome (generally the DNA, information, manual)
• Transcriptome (which genes are switched on/transcribed/expressed)
• Epigenome (slightly changes hoe genetic information is read)

Question 8

Why is genetic diversity important?

Answer 8

It is essential for populations to evolve in response to
environmental changes. Large genetic diversity is key to
provide the “flexibility” to be able to evolve and adapt (quicker)
for changing environmental conditions so genetic diversity needs to be high for a taxon to survive and evolve.

Question 9

How can genetic diversity be lost?

Answer 9

• Reduction in population size (migration, habitat fragmentation or loss, catastrophic events, …)
• Natural selection
• Genetic drift: change in allele frequencies due to chance (most common in small populations)
• Inbreeding depression

Question 10

What is Phylogenetics?

Answer 10

Phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relationships among biological entities from different families/species/genera to domains, kingdoms, phyla.

Question 11

What is phylogenetics based on?

Answer 11

• morphological characters
• macroscopic characters
• microscopic characters
• genetic/molecular characters

Question 12

What is topology?

Answer 12

The pattern of branches, the way we represent and draw a phylogenetic tree.