What is a Species Flashcards
who is the founding father of taxonomy
Carl Linnaeus
why is Linnaeus important
he introduced a new system for scientifically naming organisms
what makes up a binomial name
genus name and the specific epithet
in the example of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, what is the genus name
Tyrannosaurus
what are the rules for the binomial names, genus and specific epithet
genus is always capitalized
specific epithet is not capitalized
full name (binomial) is italicized
what are the four animals/dinos that share its specific epithet with the Tyrannosaurus rex
othnielia rex - ornithopod
nuralagus rex - extinct rabbit
comitas rex - sea snail
cattleya rex - flower
what are the three rules for how a species gets its binomial name
- rule of priority - once a species has officially been given a binomial name, it cannot be changed
- there must be a published description of the species in a peer reviewed scientific publication
- designate a holotype specimen
_______ is a physical example of the new species that must be kept in a research institution so others can study it
holotype specimen
true or false - a holotype specimen needs to be a complete specimen
false - they are hardly ever complete
name the important specimen found at the U of A Lab of Vertebrate Paleo
Hesperonychus elizabathae
what is the abbreviated name and number associated with the Hesperonychus elizabathae holotype specimen
UALVP 48778
what part of the Hesperonychus elizabathae was found
a) all of it
b) pectoral girdle
c) femur
d) pelvis
d
the Hesperonychus elizabathae is a
a) ornithopod
b) dromaeosaurid
c) sauropod
b
interspecific variation is defined by
a) different morphology
b) same morphology
b
true or false - individuals that belong to the same species show INTRAspecific variation
true
what is an example of sexual dimorphism in modern animals
male deers have antlers, but females do not
what is ontogenetic variation
variation between young and adult individuals of the SAME species
_____ is the normal variation that exists among individuals of a species
individual variation
what is an example of individual variation
eye color and hair color in humans
plastic deformation (change in bone) can result in ….
taphonomic variation
_______ define a species as a group of organisms that can successfully interbreed
a) biological species concept
b) morphological species concept
a
which species concept can be applied to modern animals and plants
biological species concept
true or false - the biological species concept can be applied to asexual organisms
false - it cannot
define the morphological species concept
a species as a group of organisms that share a certain degree of physical similarity
when can we assume that the fossil specimens belong to the same species
if their physical similarities are consistent with what is expected
what are the two factors that make the morphological species concept tricky to apply
ontogenetic changes and sexual dimorphism
define the differences between lumpers and splitters
lumpers - paleontologists need more differences before they consider two species to be distinct
splitters - paleontologists need less differences before they consider two species to be distinct
what is the name of the smallest known dinosaur in North america
Hesperonychus
how many species are on earth
between 5 and 30 million species
what are the two species of Edmontosaurus
Edmontosaurus annectus and Edmontosaurus regalis
what is the most reliable feature that scientists can use to divide up organisms into separate species
number of fingers on the hand
what is the latin name for the species of dogs
Canis Lupis familiaris
what are the two things needed for mating to occur
the species need to live at the same time at the same place
which of the following statements are true
a) one or more species make up a population
b) one or more populations make up a species
b
