Lecture 14

What is pesticide resistance?

the ability of a life form to develop a tolerance to a pesticide.

Which of these processes involving micro-evolution is the most important?

mutation

What 4 main processes are involved with micro-evolution?

mutation, gene flow, selection, genetic drift

What aspect of macroevolution is absolutely necessary for a new species to emerge?

reproductive isolation

Why are mutations so important?

source of all alleles

What kingdom comprises the largest majority of the classified living organisms

animals and plants

What were the main causes of biodiversity loss (extinctions) since the year 1600?

humans/ extinction

Is the binomial system that was set up in the 1750s still used today? Why was it so important then?

yes

What is the definition of a species?

A group of closely related organisms that are very similar to each other and are usually capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring

Who developed the binomial nomenclature system (and also happens to be considered the father of taxonomy)?

Carolus Linnaeus

1. What is biodiversity? Approximately how many species went extinct between 1990-2015?

Ecological, ethical, cultural, spiritual, economic. 200,000 species

What is the hierarchy order of all taxa, starting with Kingdom, Phylum, Class, etc?

Kingdoms: animals, plants, fungi, protists, archaea and bacteria phylum:insects, spiders, crustaceans class: mammals, reptiles and amphibians

Can you explain and give an example of the following: Natural Selection, Artificial Selection, Sexual Selection, and Genetic Drift

artificial selection: ex: plant breeding we choose what genes we like natural selection: ex: pesticide treadmill difference in survival and reproduction among individuals of a population due to natural variation in the population sexual selection: accepts high quality genetic drift: random selection, proximity

What 4 processes are involved with macro-evolution?

microevolutionary processes, reproductive isolation, speciation, genetic divergence of populations

Why should we conserve biodiversity (ie what are the many things it provides)?

new species could provide new medicines

What is antibiotic resistance an example of?

overuse of antibiotics

What region of the world houses approximately 70% of the earth's biodiversity (hint: it is the region of the world that is experiencing a large amount of destruction each year)?

rainforest

Why is the definition of "species" rather difficult to decipher in plants (do they follow the rules here? Why or why not?

they are not always similar