Taxonmy Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
The variety of life in a particular area, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans.
Biodiversity can be categorized into genetic, species, and ecosystem biodiversity.
What are the three levels of biodiversity?
- Genetic biodiversity
- Species biodiversity
- Ecosystem biodiversity
Each level focuses on different aspects of biological variety.
Define genetic biodiversity.
The variety of individuals (or genes/DNA) in a population.
More genetic variation is found in healthy populations, aiding survival.
Why is genetic biodiversity important?
It ensures that certain individuals are more likely to survive environmental changes.
This concept relates to the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’.
Which branches of biology study genetic biodiversity?
- Genetics
- Evolutionary biology
- Conservation
These fields focus on understanding genetic variation and its implications.
What is species biodiversity?
The variety of species in a particular area.
A species is defined as a group of like organisms capable of reproducing.
What defines a population in terms of species?
A group of the same species living in a particular area.
Populations are studied in fields like ecology and conservation.
What are endemic species?
Species that are indigenous and naturally found only in a particular area.
They are not found naturally anywhere else.
What is ecosystem biodiversity?
The variety of ecosystems found in a particular area.
Examples include different forests, grasslands, and wetlands.
Who typically studies ecosystem biodiversity?
Ecologists.
They focus on the interactions within ecosystems and their components.
How many species of plants and animals are estimated to exist on Earth?
Around 8.7 million species
This includes both identified and unidentified species.
What percentage of Earth’s species have been identified?
Approximately 1.2 million species
Most identified species are insects.
What are indigenous species?
Species that are naturally found in a particular area
Indigenous species are native to their environment.
Define endemic species.
Indigenous species that are found only in a particular area and nowhere else
Endemic species have a restricted distribution.
What are alien species?
Species that are living outside their natural range
Alien species are often introduced by human activity.
What are invasive alien species?
Alien species that establish and spread quickly, causing environmental or economic damage
They can disrupt local ecosystems.
What is biological classification?
The scientific process of grouping and organizing biodiversity
It helps in understanding the diversity of life.
What is taxonomy?
The science of identifying, describing, naming, and classifying organisms with shared features into taxa
Taxonomists perform this classification.
Define systematics.
The study of diversity and evolutionary relationships of taxa over time
It often involves the analysis of evolutionary patterns.
What do evolutionary biologists study in relation to taxonomy and systematics?
How different species or taxa evolved and their relationships
They explore common ancestry of all life on Earth.
What is a phylogenetic tree?
A diagram showing the lines of evolutionary descent of different taxa from a common ancestor
It illustrates how different taxa are related.
What is a taxon?
Any named group of organisms
The plural form is taxa.
True or False: Vast numbers of species are currently going extinct before they are discovered.
True
This highlights the importance of biodiversity conservation.
What is formal taxonomy?
A science that is internationally standardized for naming organisms
Why is formal taxonomy important for communication?
It prevents synonyms and is universal in language
What are some key reasons for using a formal system of taxonomy?
- Ease of communication
- Document biodiversity
- Better understanding of evolution
How does formal taxonomy aid in biodiversity conservation?
It helps identify and document existing diversity
Who was the first to formulate a somewhat scientific approach to biological classification?
Aristotle
What did Aristotle call his view of the hierarchy of organisms?
The ‘Ladder of Nature’
According to Aristotle, what are the two major groups of organisms?
- Plants
- Animals
What characteristics did Aristotle attribute to plants?
They are usually green, stationary, can reproduce, and grow
What distinguishes animals from plants in Aristotle’s classification?
Animals can move, search for food, and experience sensation
True or False: Aristotle recognized the existence of one-celled organisms.
False
Fill in the blank: Aristotle thought that animals are higher-level organisms because they can _______.
move around
What did Aristotle believe allows animals to survive better than plants?
The ability to leave unfavorable environments
How did people living close to nature classify organisms?
According to their needs and local importance
Who were the notable figures in botany that dominated scientific classification for 1,400 years?
Aristotle and Theophrastus
Aristotle’s method heavily influenced scientific classification until the 19th century.
What was the common issue with naming organisms before the 19th century?
Lack of a common naming system
Each scientist had their own naming style based on perceived important characteristics.
What language was predominantly used for naming organisms before the standardization of nomenclature?
Latin
Latin was the language of learning and scholarship during this time.
What is the binomial system of nomenclature?
A naming system using two words: genus and species
Introduced by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758.
In what year did Carolus Linnaeus establish his rules for naming organisms?
1758
This year marks the formal introduction of the binomial nomenclature system.
What are the taxonomic ranks introduced by Linnaeus?
Kingdom, class, order, genus, species
These ranks organize organisms from greatest to smallest diversity.
What does the term ‘binomial’ refer to in the binomial system of nomenclature?
Two parts
‘Nomenclature’ refers to naming.
What are the rules for writing species names in binomial nomenclature?
- Genus name capitalized
- Species epithet in lowercase
- Both italicized or underlined
Example: Panthera pardus.
How can the genus name be abbreviated after its first mention?
To its first letter
For example, Panthera pardus can be shortened to P. pardus.
What should be written in place of the species epithet when the species name is unknown?
sp.
For example, Panthera sp. indicates an unknown species within the genus Panthera.
True or False: The original naming of organisms was concise and standardized.
False
Naming was often lengthy and varied among scientists.
What significant contribution did Linnaeus make to the field of taxonomy?
Developed taxonomic keys for identifying organisms
His keys made it easier to classify plants and animals.
What is the priority rule for naming species in scientific papers?
The first time a name for a species is published takes priority over any other names.
What is a taxon?
Any named group of organisms, regardless of rank.
List the commonly used taxonomic ranks from highest to lowest.
- domain
- kingdom
- phylum
- class
- order
- family
- genus
- species
What is the purpose of taxonomic keys?
To identify specimens by listing features that can be compared to an unknown organism.
What is a dichotomous key?
A key that has pairs of statements about characteristics used for identification.
Who proposed the Kingdom Protista and when?
Ernst Haeckel in 1866.
What are the five kingdoms in the five kingdom system?
- Monera
- Protista
- Fungi
- Plantae
- Animalia
What types of organisms are included in the Kingdom Monera?
Prokaryotic organisms such as Bacteria and Archaea.
Who added fungi and bacteria kingdoms to the classification system and when?
Robert Whittaker in 1969.
What are the three domains in the three domain system?
- Bacteria
- Archaea
- Eukarya
What type of organisms does the domain Archaea include?
Unique prokaryotes living in extreme environments.
What is the significance of Carl Woese’s discovery in 1977?
He discovered archaebacteria, leading to a revised three-domain system.
Fill in the blank: The most commonly used taxonomic rank below kingdom is _______.
phylum
True or False: Linnaeus recognized more than two kingdoms in his classification system.
False
What was the immediate impact of Darwin’s theory on taxonomic classifications?
Understanding of evolution did not immediately change taxonomic classifications
However, it did alter the significance of taxa.
What hypothesis is generated when two groups of organisms share the same characteristics?
The grouped organisms are related to each other evolutionarily; they share a common ancestor
This reflects the concept of common ancestry in evolution.
What do modern systematists use to group organisms?
Shared characteristics due to shared common ancestry
This contrasts with grouping based on overall similarity.
What is the difference between homologous characteristics and overall similarity?
Homologous characteristics indicate common ancestry, while overall similarity may not
For example, a worm and a snake may be grouped by shape, but a snake and a rat share more meaningful traits.
Fill in the blank: Organisms are grouped based on _______.
shared characteristics due to shared common ancestry
True or False: Grouping organisms by overall similarity is the same as grouping them by homologous characteristics.
False
Overall similarity does not necessarily indicate evolutionary relationships.
