Unit 3, topic 1.2: Classification processes

Question 1

Taxonomy

Answer 1

The classification of Earth’s biodiversity into formal groups

Question 2

Morphology

Answer 2

Classification based on visible characteristics

Question 3

Five kingdom system

Answer 3

places all prokaryotes in one kingdom of the 5:
Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

Question 4

3 domain system

Answer 4

Domain Bacteria (Bacteria and Cyanobacteria)

Domain Archaea (Archean’s)

Domain Eukarya (Amoebae, plants, animals, fungi, slime moulds)

Question 5

Six kingdom system

Answer 5

Update of the 1969 five kingdom classification system:
Eubacteria, Archaeabacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

Question 6

Traditional classification (Linnaean system)

Answer 6

Organisms are grouped into taxonomic ranks on the basis of morphology

Question 7

Taxonomic ranks

Answer 7

1. Kingdom
2. Phylum
3. Class
4. Order
5. Family
6. Genus
7. Species

Question 8

Binomial nomenclature

Answer 8

When species are named by genus and species

Question 9

Weaknesses of traditional classification

Answer 9

ranks are not equivalent for different types of organisms and unrelated species can be grouped together because they look alike, resulting in misclassification

Question 10

Phylogenetic classification

Answer 10

Ties names to clades/evolutionary history: Cladistics

Characteristics used to assign organisms to a clade can be morphological or molecular (DNA or proteins)

Question 11

Clade

Answer 11

A taxonomic group that consists of an ancestor and all its’ descendants

Question 12

Classification by mode of reproduction

Answer 12

BROAD:
Asexual reproduction, cycles of sexual and asexual reproduction, exclusively sexual reproduction

Question 13

Classification by life history strategy

Answer 13

Organisms can be grouped according to how they allocate their resources to growth and reproduction → R-selected and K-selected

Question 14

R-selected organism

Answer 14

small, fast-growing organisms that live in unstable environments and produce a large number of offspring

Question 15

K-selected organism

Answer 15

large, slow-growing organisms that live in stable environments and produce only a few offspring that they can give a lot of care to

Question 16

Species definition

Answer 16

Biological species: two organisms with the ability to successfully interbreed

Phylogenetic species: Two organisms with shared evolutionary history

Question 17

Weaknesses of species definitions

Answer 17

Biological species: difficult application to Asexual organisms and extinct organisms

Phylogenetic species: Requires enough geometric diversity to evaluate and can result in the proliferation of a species

Question 18

Phylogenetics

Answer 18

The study of the evolutionary history of organisms or a group of organisms and their relationships

Question 19

Phylogenetic trees

Answer 19

a graphical representation of evolutionary relationships among biological taxa

Question 20

Molecular Phylogenetics

Answer 20

Analyses heritable molecular differences to find out about an organisms evolutionary relationships

Question 21

Cladogram

Answer 21

A phylogenetic tree constructed using a cladistical approach

Question 22

DNA barcoding

Answer 22

Takes short highly conserved DNA sequences to produce species-specific information

works on the assumption that each species DNA is different but the more closely related the organisms are, the more similar their DNA will be.

Question 23

Classification by species interactions

Answer 23

Species can be classified with the nature and outcome of interactions between different species, influencing structure and interdependence

Question 24

The rule of Parsimony

Answer 24

Assumes that the phylogenetic tree with the simplest explanation (the least number of evolutionary events) is the most likely to show the correct evolutionary relationships

Question 25

Bifurcation (branching)

Answer 25

a branching, pattern of lineage-splitting, essentially meaning that when a lineage splits, it divides into exactly two groups

Question 26

Ecosystem

Answer 26

a community of living organisms and abiotic components of their environment, interacting as a system

Question 27

Community

Answer 27

Made up of populations (organisms of the same species living in the same geographical area)

Question 28

Ecoregions

Answer 28

geographically distinct plant and animal regions

Question 29

Microhabitat

Answer 29

small areas within a larger surrounding habitat

Question 30

How classification aids ecosystem management

Answer 30

Allows us to manage ecosystems more effectively, monitor changes, and create better options for conservation.

Allows us to recognize and record biodiversity

Question 31

Purpose of sampling

Answer 31

Community composition, species interactions, species distribution, conservation management, species abundance, ecosystem stability

Question 32

Stratified sampling

Answer 32

dividing the population into subgroups, where samples are then taken from each group in portion to its representation of the total population, random sampling is applied

Question 33

Purpose of stratified sampling

Answer 33

estimating population, density, distribution, environmental gradients and profiles, zonation and stratification

Question 34

reducing sampling bias

Answer 34

Large sample size, random sampling, appropriate data collection methods and apparatus

Question 35

Quadrat sampling

Answer 35

random placement of a frame of known size over an area/habitat used to asses the abundancy or diversity of organisms

Question 36

Formula for quadrat sampling

Answer 36

# of quadrats * area of each quadrat

Question 37

Transect sampling

Answer 37

a line placed across a community or environment used to provide information about species distribution across an environmental gradient
(uses quadrats)

Question 38

Types of transect sampling

Answer 38

Continuous belt transect, point sampling, interrupted belt transect