Exam 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

phylogenetic/ evolutionary definition of vertebrates

A

1st organism w/ backbone + all descendants

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2
Q

So vertebrates comprise about 3% of all named species.

As small a number as that is, it is a gross overestimate. Why?

A

bigger - more practical to study; anthropomorphism; economics; individual ecology/ “ecosystem engineers”/ disproportionate ecological impact; humans are vertebrates

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3
Q

About 300 new species of vertebrates are described each year. But if
vertebrates are so conspicuous, how could entire species be around for
thousands of years without anyone noticing??

A

size, remote locations

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4
Q

Turtle Pres. 1: Using Molecular Markers to Detect Hybridization in Map turtles

A
  • Frederick Sanger = fluorescently tag nucleotides
  • Gel electrophoresis separates molecules of diff size
  • DNA evidence can be used to detect hybridization
  • overlap in range of false and common map turtles
  • Common = slow moving water
  • False = faster currents
  • cool temperatures - produce males, warm=females
  • Common females -> head gigantism
  • Questions focus on hybridization and impact
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5
Q

How do new species arise?

A

Anything that causes reproductive isolation between populations w/in a species

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6
Q

What does “operationality” refer to when discussing species concepts?

A

ways to put it into practice, useful, testable (as opposed to a philosophical def. that is not testable)

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7
Q

Operational Predictions of Evolution Species Concept

A

None - philosophical: -2/10

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8
Q

Op Predictions of Biological Species Concept

A

producing sexually viable offspring, (lions & tigers = one species) doesn’t cover asexual species, -1/10

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9
Q

Op Pred of Phylogenetic Spec. Concept

A

using character states and different versions (character states) -> looking for fixed differences

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10
Q

Op Pred of Concordance Spec. Concept

A

“unlinked” and “epistatic markers” that agree with each other
unlinked - need independent confirmation
epistasis-two genes that affect each other
(Agree = agreeing whether or not things are the same species or not)

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11
Q

Op Pred of Cohesion Spec. Concept

A
  • starts w/ nulll hypothesis (assume same species), see if there’s anything to disprove
  • test for gene flow, look for physical (geographic) barrier
  • must be genetically and demographically exchangeable (see slides)
  • A+
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12
Q

Why is this argument over species concepts important?

A

conservation (due to the legislation of conservation); big field + can lead to fame; biodiversity (we need to know when speciation happens)

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13
Q

Turtle Pres.2: Methods

A
  • using molecular markers to detect hybridization in map turtles
  • detect hybridization by looking at mitochondrial DNA
  • tissue samples
  • Isolated repeats of hybridization
  • MEGA to make tree
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14
Q

Figures important to history of classification

A

Aristotle-classifications - swam, walked, flew

Carolus Linnaeus - hierarchy, scientific names (important b/c they are unique), grouping based on morphology then

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15
Q

What underlying assumption is now incorporated into taxonomy, causing an
upheaval of this system?

A

-naming/ grouping based on phylogeny now

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16
Q

Why can it be said that ‘species’ is the only biologically meaningful
designation?

A

other classifications are more subjective, whereas ‘species’ has discreet criteria

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17
Q

When we account for patterns of descent, the Linnaeus’ methodology of
simply lumping similar looking organisms gets thrown out. Why then, are so
many taxonomic designations unchanged from his time?

A

morphology often reflects phylogeny

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18
Q

What evolutionary scenarios are most likely to cause an incongruency
between Linnaeus’ system and current taxonomy?

A

convergent evolution

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19
Q

Each frog genus contains ~15 species. Each bird genus contains <5
species. Why the disparity?

A

people have studied birds more, so smaller differences are more studied -> classified more specifically

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20
Q

classification

A

a very broad term which simply means putting things in

classes

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21
Q

Taxonomy

A

giving names to things

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22
Q

Phylogeny, also known as a cladogram.

A

the ``tree of life’’ - the hierarchical structure by which every life-
form is related to every other life-form.

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23
Q

Systematics

A

the process of trying to classify living things according to their
phylogeny.

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24
Q

phylogenetic systematics or cladistics.

A

The method of weighting certain “important” traits based on their
evolutionary history is called

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25
Q

Turtle Presentation Part 3: Conclusions etc.

A
  • one branch false map, one common map
    -some of the morphologically false map turtles ended up on the common map branch
    -Incomplete lineage sorting - descendants of diff species can have same thing
    -Bidirectional hybridization
    -linkage disequilibrium - none - freely mating, no linkage (hybrids can mate with non-hybrids, etc)
    IN CONCLUSION:
    -hybridization has occurred
    -no assortive mating
    -no selection against “genome mixing”
    -Dietary differences may be driving speciation
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26
Q

Willi Hennig declared that groups should only be identified on the basis of what?

A

derived characters

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27
Q

Apomorphy

A

a derived trait - a trait that I have, but my ancestor didn’t (bipedalism in humans)

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28
Q

synapomophy

A

a shared, derived trait
common ancestor has it, but it’s ancestors don’t
derived homology (feathers for birds)
only applies when there are multiple branches
depends on makeup of group

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29
Q

Plesiomorphy

A

traits inherited unchanged from an ancestor

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30
Q

Symplesiomorphy

A

shared ancestral characteristic (cell nucleus for birds)
depends on makeup of group
useless from cladistics standpoint

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31
Q

Ultimately, we are trying to construct the tree that requires the least number
of evolutionary transitions. Such a tree is referred to as

A

parsimonious

32
Q

Name a mammalian synapomorphy within vertebrates. Name a

mammalian symplesiomorphy within vertebrates.

A

synap: jaws, hair, mammary glands
symples: organs

33
Q

Can a trait that two species share be neither a synapomorphy nor a
symplesiomorphy?

A

yes - convergent evolution

34
Q

If the ancestor went extinct long ago, how do we know whether it had a
certain trait?

A

fossil record, other family members

35
Q

Crown groups

A

refer to the extant organisms in your taxon and their most

recent common ancestor.

36
Q

Stem groups

A

preceded the point at which the first member of the crown

group branched off.

37
Q

outgroups

A

more distantly related species

38
Q

If the cut-off for a genus is arbitrary, why might genus names need to be
revised?

A
  • everyone needs to be

- genus should be monophyletic

39
Q

Why are genetic data more likely to give an accurate picture of ancestry
than morphological data? Why are morphological data still used?

A
  • genetics are more specific, aren’t subject to convergent evol.
  • b/c morphological data has basis to it most of the time
40
Q

Carnivora Camera Trapping Project

A
  • teeth are often a distinguishing feature

- Technology - camera, uses heat

41
Q

Explain to a non-scientist what the neural crest is. Why is it important for
vertebrate animals?

A

-early development of the nervous tissue (in embryonic development) outside of CNS
-(a group of embryonic cells that are pinched off during the
formation of the neural tube (the precursor of the spinal cord). The cells of
the neural crest migrate to numerous locations in the body and contribute
to the formation of diverse structures, mostly associated with the nervous
system.)

42
Q

What is genome duplication? How do genome duplications allow for major
evolutionary innovations?

A

mutations that can change in the path of evolution -> can work on make new functions, 2nd copy of DNA can mutate (since 1st copy is already doing its job)

43
Q

Why are the lamprey (agnathans), ascidians (urochordates), and amphioxus
(cephalochordates) important to study when exploring the evolutionary history of
traits fundamental to vertebrates?

A

they are the closest relative - branched off around the right time

44
Q

What is the best evidence to suggest that genome duplications allowed for the
evolution of the neural crest?

A

non-vert characters have smaller genome than; fairly short window-> neural crest expanded really fast

45
Q

What could explain differences in neural crest expression between Lampreys
and gnathostomes?

A
  • lampreys don’t have nearly as advance neural crest - it’s posible they lost it
  • maybe relationship isn’t as important as expected
46
Q

Saw Whet Owl Banding

A
  • one of the most common owls in forested habitats
    -migrate due to food competition, migrate at night
    -females choose nesting site, frequently the nests of other birds
    -owlets are dependent for 6-8 weeks, fly immediately after leaving nest
    -individually numbered ID tags that don’t interfere
    -Bird Bonding Lab for catalogue
    -population growth: ratio of banded to non-banded
    -
47
Q

Saw Whet Owl Banding

A
  • one of the most common owls in forested habitats
  • migrate due to food competition, migrate at night
  • females choose nesting site, frequently the nests of other birds
  • owlets are dependent for 6-8 weeks, fly immediately after leaving nest
  • individually numbered ID tags that don’t interfere
  • Bird Bonding Lab for catalogue
  • population growth: ratio of banded to non-banded
  • age determined with blacklight
  • mist nets
48
Q

Order these old to new: Ordovician, Devonian, Cambrian, Devonian

A

Cambrian (542 mya), Ordovician (488), Silurian (444), Devonian (359)

49
Q

When did vertebrates first show up?

A

Around 540 mya, in the Cambrian.

50
Q

Interestingly, animals appeared only about 600 mya. Why is that so interesting???

A

Narrow window for verts to evolve

51
Q

So what was going on 540 million years ago?

A
  • Most of the earth was covered in ocean.
  • Oxygen had recently become abundant in the atmosphere.
  • Pangaea wouldn’t form for another 250 million years.
  • ocean currents are opened or cut off as the continents shift, drastically changing water temps
  • shifting continents form land bridges
  • significant climate changes for a region
52
Q

Epeiric seas

A

Shallow water covering continents - results from climate change cycles and continental movement.

53
Q

Given the drastic climatic changes, why did continental drift not wipe out
a bigger fraction of the vertebrates?

A
  • very gradual - evolve or migrate

- (a lot have been wiped out)

54
Q

Given the drastic climatic changes, why did continental drift not wipe out
a bigger fraction of the vertebrates?

A
  • very gradual - evolve or migrate

- (a lot have been wiped out)

55
Q

Land bridges results in what two distinctly different types of impacts on
the movement of vertebrates?

A

1) removal of barrier on land

2) creating a barrier between marine environments

56
Q

The draining of the Epeiric seas had what effect on Minnesota’s climate?

A
  • became a lot drier

- temperatures are less moderated

57
Q

Haikouichthys

A

first known vertebrate fossils (early Cambrian)

58
Q

Oldest vertebrate groups

A

lampreys and hagfish

59
Q

Hagfish and haikouichthys share:

A

cranium

60
Q

conodonts

A

group of toothed, jawless vertebrates that appeared in the Cambrian

61
Q

Jawless fish appeared to have radiated (diversified) in the late ______ period

A

Cambrian/ early Ordivician

62
Q

Ostracoderms

A

jawless, armored fish were abundant in the Ordivician.

63
Q

Agnatha

A

For instance, we know that hagfish, ostracoderms, and lampreys are all
jawless vertebrates.
-nonmonophyletic

64
Q

gnathostomes

A
  • showed up in the Ordivician.
  • jaws - gills co-opted to become jaws -> allowed broad diet-> led to evolution into predators-> evol of fins for movement, mates, etc
65
Q

Garter Snake fluorescent tracking

A
  • natty lands
  • common and plains
  • hibernate on steep sunny slopes
  • measuring mvmt. across/within species, difference according to sex or size, diff between hibernacula
66
Q

Order on tree:

conodonts, lampreys, ostracoderms, hagfish, gnathostomes

A

hagfish, lampreys, conodonts, ostracoderms, gnathostomes

67
Q

Hox genes

A

major body-plan genes that play a big role in development

68
Q

evo-devo

A

evolution of development

-embryos look like they have gills

69
Q

placoderms

A

1st gnathostomes
probably the sister group to all other gnathostomes (where the first lineage started to branch off)
-bony armor
-Ordivician (fossils from Silurian though)
-died in Devonian

70
Q

When did all ostracoderms, and most other agnathans die out (Mass extinction)?

A

Devonian

-probably from low oxygen

71
Q

How can the first gill arch be considered an exaptation (pre-adaptation) (when something shows up and later becomes an adaptation for a totally diff thing)?

A

it wasn’t new, it was instead the use of an old strructure for a new thing

72
Q

What potential problem exists in using modern hagfish and lampreys to infer the early ancestral state of vertebrates?
How can this problem be
overcome?

A
  • there have been a lot of changes and species we don’t know about
  • using fossil record helps though
73
Q

Why is looking at the fossil record so important for studying relationships
between genomic events and phenotypic complexity?

A

it shows a gradual change w/ steps (species) of change

74
Q

Why is looking at the fossil record so important for studying relationships
between genomic events and phenotypic complexity?

A

it shows a gradual change w/ steps (species) of change

75
Q

What is the ENORMOUS problem with using the number of families or
genera as an estimate of diversity within a taxonomic group?

A

arbitrary number of species in a family

76
Q

Even if we ignore this problem, what bias might exist by quantifying diversity
via the fossil record alone?

A

differences in how easily things fossilize -> harder to speciate