Created by sammibeard
about 10 years ago
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Question | Answer |
What is a species? | A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding/producing fertile offspring. |
what is a morphological species? | Organisms are classified in the same species if they appear identical by morphological (anatomical) criteria. |
What are Phylogenetic Species? | Share one morphological or molecular trait. Increase species by 48%. |
What proportion of species are vertebrates? | 1% |
How many new species are discovered a year? | 15,000 |
What percentage of known species have now become extinct? | 99% |
what percentage of present day species are predicted to go extinct> | 20% |
how many of the worlds' species of birds that could go extinct? | 2000 |
What is the Bonarelli Event /Anoxic Event? | occurs when the earth's oceans become completely depleted of O2 below the surface levels, may have caused mass extinction. |
What is the Mega-Funa extinction? And what was the cause of it? | It was the mass extinction of large land based mammals. The main cause is thought to be human hunting (74-86%) |
In Madagascar, what species went extinct due to human hunting? | 15 species of lemur pigmy hippo flightless elephant bird 13 species of Moas |
Why have African Mega-fauna survived? | Perhaps because animals coevolved with humans Animals evolved counter-adaptations to human predation |
Why are islands so vulnerable? | Evolved in the absence of predators Humans introduced competitors, diseases Island populations are usually small which increases their risk for extinction Rescue effect Relaxed anti-predator behavior, loss of herbivore defenses and reduced dispersal in plants |
What has happened to the rate of extinction in the last 150 years? | It has increased. |
what percentage of vertebrates could become extinct by the end of the year? | 66% |
What is the increased percentage of the worlds birds that have become critically endangered? | 8% |
Why is this mass extinction notable? | It is the only such event triggered by a single species (Homo sapien) A few million years is a long time to wait for recovery It is not clear that biodiversity will rebound this time Humans are utilizing resources that new species would need to evolve |
What is an endemic species? | species found naturally in only one geographic area and no place else Occupy restricted ranges |
Give some examples of an endemic species? | Komodo dragon lives only on a few islands Mauna Kea Silversword only lives in a single volcano crater on the island of Hawaii |
If we protected 1.4% of the worlds land surface, what would that preserved? | 44% of the worlds vascular plants, 35% of its terrestrial vertebrate can be preserved. |
What percentage of human population are located in hotspots? | 20% |
Why are species going extinct in hotspots? | High rates of habitat destruction Land cleared for agriculture, housing, economic development More than 70% of the original area of each hotspot has already disappeared Only 15% or less of original habitat remains in 14 hotspots 95% Brazilian forest lost 90% Madagascar forest lost |
what are some of the causes of extinction (direct or indirect)? | Overexploitation Habitat loss Introduced species Disruption of ecosystem interactions Pollution Loss of genetic variation Catastrophic disturbances |
What is happening to the frog population around the world? | Frog populations that had once been abundant are now decreasing or entirely gone 2005: 43% of amphibian species experienced decreases in population size 1/3rd are threatened with extinction |
Why have some frog species declined although they live in pristine, well protected habitats? | The water they have lived in are tainted in chemicals, which passes though their skin into their skin into their bodies. |
What are some of the other reasons why frogs are declining in populations? | Global environment is deteriorating, habitat loss and Chytrid fungus. |
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