Unit 2 KA1 Flashcards
Point Count
Involves the observer recording individuals seen from a fixed point location which can be compared to other point count locations or data from the same location from other times
Elusive Species Sample Techniques
Camera traps or scat sampling (indirect method)
Taxonomy
Identification and naming of organisms and their classification into groups based on shared characteristics
Identification of an organism
Classification guides, biological keys or analysis of DNA or protein
Classic taxonomy
Based on morphology
Phylogenetics
Study of evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms
What does phylogenetics use?
Heritable traits such as morphology, DNA sequences, and protein structure to make inferences about an organisms evolutionary history and create a phylogeny
Genetic evidence
Reveal relatedness obscured by divergent or convergent evolution
Convergent Evolution
Occurs when organisms that aren’t closely related evolve similar features or behaviours
Divergent Evolution
Evolutionary pattern in which species sharing a common ancestry become more distinct due to differential selection pressure
Taxonomic Groups
Nematodes, Arthropods, Chordates
Model organisms
Those that are easily studied or well studied
Model Organisms examples
Bacterium E. coli, Arabidopsis Thaliana
Nematode Example
C Elegans
Arthropod Example
Drosophila Melanogaster
Chordates Examples
Mice, Rats, Zebrafish
Indicator Species
Gives information of environmental qualities such as the presence of a pollutant
Susceptible and Favoured Species in an Ecosystem
Reduced population= Susceptible to some factor
Increased population= Favoured by conditions
Mark and Recapture Technique Formula
N=MC/R
What does Mark and Recapture ensure?
All individuals have an equal chance of capture
No immigration or emigration
Can mix randomly and fully with total population
Methods of Marking
Banding, tagging, surgical implantation, painting and hair clipping
What should marking minimise?
Impact on the study species
Latency
Time between the stimulus occurring and the response behaviour
Ethogram
Lists specific-specific behaviours shown by a species in a wild context
Advantage of an ethogram
Recording the duration of each of the behaviours listed combined with total time of observation allows the proportion of time spent on each behaviour to be calculated in the time budget
Anthropomorphism
Behaviours similar to human behaviours
Importance of avoiding anthropomorphism when analysing behaviour
Lead to invalid conclusions
