Understanding biodiversity pt 1

Question 1

Hunter-gatherers had detailed biodiversity knowledge because…

Answer 1

• survival often depended on it, know what plants are good, poisonous, ect.
• when birthing season was for certain animals, so to know when to hunt for them

Question 2

What is plato’s theory of forms?

Answer 2

• that there is an idealized version of everything that exists, but humans don’t see this form, just variations of it.
• this was a direct result of Plato’s ideas surrounding teleology (function = sole cause of existence)

Question 3

Aristotle originated the terms ‘Species’ and “Genus”, what did they mean?

Answer 3

Species: “kind of organism”, each resembled each other closely with little variation

Genus: Groups of species that share a function/ecological role

Question 4

Aristotle saw correlations in organisms between ______ and ________

Answer 4

Aristotle saw correlations in organisms between HABITAT and STRUCTURE

Question 5

What were some of Aristotles errors?

Answer 5

• thought that species were fixed, that none evolved.
• thought that humans couldn’t live on the equator b/c it was too hot

Question 6

Aristotle primarily arranged species on a ….

Answer 6

• linear scale of complexity
• but also classified species on other traits (‘type of soul’)