Unit B Aisha Flashcards
What is palaeontology?
The study of fossils.
What are the factors affecting terrestrial ecosystem?
Soil, water, temperature, sunlight
Lamarck’s theory?
New species created by spontaneous generation, characteristics acquired by wanting them bad enough, acquired characteristics can be inherited
Characteristics of taiga ecosystems?
Conifers, warm moist summers, cold dry winters, sunny canopy with shady forest floor
Describe Radioactive Dating.
Radioactive dating is the technique used to determine the age of a rock or fossil
What is meant by “half-life”?
units called half lives is the amount of time it takes for half of a sample of isotope to decay and become stable.
What is the difference between homologous features, analogous features and vestigial features?
Homologous Features: features with similar structure but different functions. For example: horse limbs, pig limbs and human limbs.
Analogous Features: similar functions but different evolutionary origin. For example: bird wings and insect wings.
Which scientist proposed the hybrid theory?
Carl Linnaeus
What are the four nucleotide bases that compose the DNA?
Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine
What is meant by the “inheritance of acquired characteristics?
organisms had the ability to produce new parts to adapt to their environment. (We also know that acquired traits CANNOT be inherited)
Of the six kingdoms, which two are considered prokaryotic?
The Monera, also known as the Eubacteria and the Archaebateria.
List the order of the seven main “taxa”. From the most specific to the least.
Kingdom-Phylum-Class-Order-Family-Genus-Species.
What is the best definition of a “species”?
A species includes organisms that are similar but mainly these organisms can reproduce and the offspring that they have can also reproduce (have viable offspring)
What is phylogeny?
the study of the history of the evolution of species and groups of organisms.
What pieces of evidence tell us that species have a shared ancestry?
- Fossil record (direct)
- Geographic distribution of species
- Comparative anatomy and embryology
- Behaviour
- Plant and animal breeding
- Biochemistry and genetics
Describe the ecological niche for a hawk and an owl.
Hawks: -long wings -hunt during the day -nest at top of taller trees Owl: -Short, board wings -active at night -eyes excellent at detecting motion -nest in deep cover of trees.
What is an Ecotone?
contains species from bordering ecosystems- contain greater diversity.
In order of which receives the most sunlight, list the three zones of an aquatic ecosystem.
Littoral- Limnetic- Profundal
What is the definition of a biome?
a large geographical region with a specific climate, plants, and animals.
What are the three factors that affect aquatic ecosystems?
Chemical enviroment, temperature and sunlight, and water pressure
Rank the following ecosystems (Muskeg,taiga,deciduous forest , grassland) in descending order accorging to the amount of precipitation.
deciduous forest, taiga, muskeg, grassland
What are the four layers of soil (in order from top to bottom)
Litter-Topsoil-Subsoil-Bedrock
What are the factors affecting Terrestial Ecosystems?
Soil, Available Water, Temperature, and Sunlight
Define biotic potential
Biotic potential is the maximum number of offspring that a species could produce if resources were unlimited.
Give two examples of biotic factors that affect Limiting Factors.
- Too much or too little sunlight.
- Harmful chemicals in the environment.
Give some examples of density-independent Factors
- Flood
- Fire
- Pesticides
- Climate Change
- Destruction of habitat
- Drought
Give some examples of density-dependent factors.
- Food shortages
- Disease
- Introduction of an exotic species
- Increased Predation
- Competition for water and resources
What is meant by “slash and burn”?
clearing a forest by felling tress and burning the debris.
What is meant by “prescribed burns”?
a controlled fire set intentionally in a designated area.
What are the two types of lakes?
Oligotrophic: deep,cold lakes that have LOW nutrient levels.
Eutrophic: shallow, warm lakes that have an EXCELLENT supply of nutrients.
