Chapter 2: Classification Process

Question 1

What is taxonomy?

Answer 1

A system of classification, particularly biological; or the study of these systems

Question 2

What is a major benefit of classification?

Answer 2

It simplifies and condenses large amounts of information

Question 3

What are hierarchies?

Answer 3

A system categorized by the specific arrangement of information into ‘layers’

Question 4

What is a major limitation to classification?

Answer 4

It can be interpreted in many different ways and is open to interpretation

Question 5

What is the most standard and widely accepted form of taxonomy?

Answer 5

Linnaean classification

Question 6

What are the 8 major taxa?

Answer 6

Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species

Question 7

What are the three domains?

Answer 7

Eukarya, Archaea and Bacteria

Question 8

What are the four kingdoms in domain Eukarya?

Answer 8

Animalia, Plantae, Protista and Fungi

Question 9

What is binomial nomenclature?

Answer 9

A naming system is which each individual is given a two-part name, such as genus and species or fist name and surname

Question 10

What is the eutherian (placental) form of reproduction?

Answer 10

A mammal that gives birth to fully developed, or very near fully developed, live young

Question 11

What are monotremes?

Answer 11

A mammal that does not give birth to live young but lay eggs

Question 12

What are the only two monotremes?

Answer 12

Echidnas and platypuses

Question 13

What is r/K selection?

Answer 13

A form of mathematical classification based on the number of offspring a species produces and the level of parental involvement required to care for them

Question 14

What are phylogenic trees?

Answer 14

A branching diagram showing evolutionary relationships

Question 15

What is a clade?

Answer 15

A group comprising all of the same descendants of a particular ancestor organism

Question 16

What is a cladogram?

Answer 16

A phylogenetic tree in which all organisms are grouped according to their most likely evolutionary relationships

Question 17

What is cladistics?

Answer 17

A taxonomic technique that arranges organisms by clade

Question 18

What are the three assumptions that cladistics relies on?

Answer 18

That all organisms share a common ancestor, Offspring diverge dichotomously and organisms become increasingly different

Question 19

What does plesiomorphic mean?

Answer 19

Having characteristics or traits that are common among their evolutionary relatives but are not unique to their clade

Question 20

What does apomorhpic mean?

Answer 20

Having a characteristic or trait unique to a particular group of organisms that is different from their evolutionary relatives

Question 21

What is a character matrix?

Answer 21

A table of characteristics used for classification

Question 22

What is a node on a cladogram?

Answer 22

A point in a diagram where lines branch or intersect

Question 23

What is molecular homology?

Answer 23

The identification of shared biomolecular elements - generally genes - used to test the relationships between organisms, which can demonstrate common ancestry

Question 24

What is comparative genomics?

Answer 24

The study of DNA similarities across species

Question 25

What is a conserved sequence?

Answer 25

A DNA or protein sequence that is preserved across species due to optimal function

Question 26

What are amino acid residues?

Answer 26

A single unit that makes up a polymer

Question 27

What is mutation rate?

Answer 27

The estimated number of base pair changes per nucleotide site per generation of a population

Question 28

What is bioinformatics?

Answer 28

The digital storage, retrieval, organisation and analysis of biological data; it is especially important in genomics research because of the large amount of complex data this research generates

Question 29

What is molecular phylogeny?

Answer 29

The study of evolutionary relationships using comparative genomics

Question 30

What is the biological species concept?

Answer 30

The definition of a species based on the capacity of individuals to interbreed

Question 31

What are some limitation to the biological species concept?

Answer 31

It is not possible two apply to fossils - it is impossible to know which specimens could interbreed or whether physical differences between specimens denote a new species or individual variation

Question 32

What are three different species concepts?

Answer 32

Biological, morphological and phylogenic

Question 33

What is the morphological species concept?

Answer 33

The definition of a species based on physical characteristics

Question 34

What is the phylogenetic species concept?

Answer 34

The definition of a species based on the smallest group of individuals having a common ancestor, often determined through genetic analysis

Question 35

What are some barriers that prevent species from interbreeding?

Answer 35

Incompatibility or behavioural differences

Question 36

What are the results of species interbreeding?

Answer 36

Usually, there is no offspring, however, if there is any offspring it is usually infertile.

Question 37

What is an example of a hybrid which is fertile?

Answer 37

A grolar bear (polar-grizzly)

Question 38

What are the four different species interactions?

Answer 38

Competition, symbiosis, predation and disease

Question 39

What is symbiosis?

Answer 39

A relationship between individuals of two or more species in which at least one organism benefits from the interaction

Question 40

What are the three main types of symbiosis?

Answer 40

Parasitism, commensalism and mutualism

Question 41

What is the photic zone?

Answer 41

The first 200 m of ocean depth that is deep as light can penetrate, allowing for photosynthetic animals to live, 90% of ocean life lives in this zone

Question 42

What is eutrophication?

Answer 42

The increase of concentration of nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrates, in a waterway that promotes algal bloom

Question 43

What is stratified sampling?

Answer 43

A statistical sampling technique that divides an area into strata for separate sampling

Question 44

What are stratum?

Answer 44

A lay or subsection of a whole

Question 45

What is the population density equation?

Answer 45

Average number of individuals per quadrat/ size of each quadrat

Question 46

What is a transect?

Answer 46

A narrow section taken straight across an area, along which observations or measurements are made

Question 47

What is a common method of sampling mobile species?

Answer 47

capture-mark-recapture

Question 48

What are some ways to minimise error during sampling?

Answer 48

Sufficient quadrants, proportional number quadrates in each area, using a random number generator

Question 49

What are some ways to present collected information?

Answer 49

The most simplest form is in a table however, it is easier in a visual format (graphs)