Diversity of Animals II/Ecology Flashcards
(210 cards)
1
Q
What class was the first vertebrates to move onto land?
A
Amphibia
2
Q
Give three (3) examples of organisms that were already on land before the amphibians
A
- Plants
- Snails
- Arthropods
3
Q
What are four (4) adaptions necessary for vertebrates to become terrestrial?
A
- Lungs
- Stronger limbs
- Thermoregulatory mechanism
- Reproductive strategies that don’t involve water
4
Q
Why are stronger limbs required to be terrestrial?
A
Air is 1,000 times less buoyant than water so strong limbs are necessary to prevent being crushed under own weight.
5
Q
What causes a large diversity of terrestrial organisms?
A
There are lots of habitats to move into and adapt to.
6
Q
What does “amphibia” literally translate to?
A
Amphi: Both
Bia: (Bio) Lives
Both lives
7
Q
What are the two (2) stages of a frog?
A
- Tadpole
2. Adult
8
Q
What is the diet of a tadpole?
A
Herbivore
9
Q
How does the tadpole move around?
A
Tail for swimming
10
Q
Where does the tadpole live?
A
Aquatic
11
Q
How does the adult frog move?
A
Legs
12
Q
What does the adult frog eat?
A
Carnivore
13
Q
How does the adult frog breathe?
A
Lungs
14
Q
Describe “grasping” by a frog
A
The male grasps the female stimulating her to release eggs.
15
Q
How are frog eggs fertilized?
A
The male releases sperm into the water where the eggs are fertilized.
16
Q
Why must frog eggs be fertilized in water?
A
They have a jellycoat without a shell and would desiccate in air.
17
Q
Describe the skeleton of amphibians
A
Bony skeleton
18
Q
How many limbs to amphibians have?
A
Tetrapods (4 limbs)
19
Q
Describe the skin of amphibians
A
Moist skin with mucous glands that are often toxic.
20
Q
Describe three (3) ways that amphibians undergo gas exchange
A
- Skin
- Gills
- Lungs
21
Q
Describe the number of chambers in an amphibian heart
A
3-chambered heart:
- 2 atria
- 1 ventricle
22
Q
What does ectothermal mean?
A
Body temperature is regulated by the environment
23
Q
How do amphibians regulate their body temperature?
A
Ectothermal
24
Q
How can some amphibians hear?
A
External eardrums for sound carried through the air.
25
What are four (4) possible causes of the crashes in amphibian populations?
1. Habitat alterations
2. Global warming
3. Acid rain
4. Fungal (chytridia) infection
26
What are three orders of the class Amphibia?
1. Caudata (aka Urodela)
2. Anura
3. Gymnophiona (aka Apoda)
27
What is the meaning of the word Caudata?
Tailed
28
What is the meaning of the word Anura?
Without tail
29
What is the meaning of the word Apoda?
Without feet
30
What is the meaning of the word Gymnophiona?
Naked Serpent
31
What are two examples of the Order Caudata?
1. Salamanders
| 2. Newts
32
What are two examples of the Order Anura?
1. Frogs
| 2. Toads
33
What is an example of the Order Gymnophiona?
Caecilians
34
What is the class animals that is the first truly terrestrial animals that can live far from water for their entire lives?
Class/Clade Reptilia
35
What is characteristic of the skin of Reptiles?
Dry skin covered in scales
36
What is the purpose of scales on a reptile?
To keep moisture inside their bodies
37
How do reptiles regulate their body temperature?
Ectothermic
38
Describe the eggs of reptiles
Covered in a leathery shell to prepare drying
39
How are reptile eggs fertilized?
Internal fertilization (egg must be fertilized before shell is formed)
40
Describe the chambers of the heart for most reptiles
3-chambered heart:
1. 2 Atria
2. 1 partially separated ventricle
41
What reptiles have a 4-chambered heart?
Order Crocodilla
42
Describe the lungs of reptiles
More powerful than amphibian lungs
43
Describe the legs and jaws of reptiles
More powerful than amphibians
44
What are three (3) Orders of the Class/Clade Reptilia?
1. Testudines
2. Squamata
3. Crocodilla
45
What is an example of the Order Testudines?
Turtles
46
What is are three (3) examples of the Order Squamata?
1. Lizards
2. Snakes
3 Worm lizards
47
What are two (2) examples of the Order Crocodilla?
1. Crocodiles
| 2. Alligators
48
Stem (ancestral) reptiles gave rise to what three major lineages of animals?
1. Reptiles
2. Birds
3. Mammals
49
What class of vertebrates outnumbers all vertebrates except the fishes?
Class/Clade Aves
50
Which members of Class/Clade Aves have feathers?
All
51
Describe the legs of Class Aves
Scaled legs
52
Describe the forelimbs of Class/Clade Aves
Modified for flight, although not all birds can fly.
53
Why have birds not achieved the diversity of body forms that other terrestrial animals have?
Flight limits the potential body shapes
54
What is endothermic?
Body temperature is regulated internally
55
How do birds regulate their body temperature?
Endothermic
56
Describe the bones of Class/Clade Aves
Hollow with cross struts to make them light yet strong
57
Do birds have teeth?
No
58
Describe the tail of birds
Short tail but feather can make it appear long.
59
Describe the chambers of the heart of Class/Clade Aves
4-chambered heart
60
What is unique about the female gonad in Class/Clade Aves
Only the left ovary and oviduct are functional
61
Where does fertilization occur for class/clade Aves?
Internally
62
Describe the shells of Class/Clade Aves
Hard calcareous shells
63
Describe the blood cells of Class/Clade Aves
Nucleated red blood cells
64
What does heterogametic mean?
The gamete can be two different forms (e.g. male mammals have X and Y)
65
What letters are used to indicate Aves sex chromosomes
ZZ (Male)
| ZW (Female)
66
What is the heterogametic sex in Class/Clade Aves?
Females:
| Eggs can be Z or W
67
What is the significance of Archaeopteryx?
Ancestor of birds that was reptilian (teeth, claws, long bony tail) but also had feathers.
68
What are four (4) shared traits between modern birds and reptiles?
1. Single occipital condyle
2. Stapes
3. 5-6 bones in lower jaw
4. Waste is concentrated uric acid
69
Where dinosaur was the likely ancestor of bird?
Theropod NOT Pterosaur (e.g. pterodactyl)
70
What is the consequence of the modern belief that Reptiles and Birds are monophyletic?
It places birds in the Reptile clade
71
What are the two (non-taxonomic) groups of birds?
1. Ratites
| 2. Carinates
72
Describe Ratites
Large, flightless birds with a flat sternum and weak pectoral muscles
73
Describe Carinates
Flying birds with a keeled sternum that gives a large surface area for flight muscle attachment
74
What are four (4) examples of ratites?
1. Ostriches
2. Emus
3. Rheas
4. Kiwi
75
What is the origin of flightless birds?
All modern-day birds evolved from flying ancestral birds. Flightless birds lost flight secondarily
76
What is the most diverse class of vertebrates?
Class Mammalia
77
What is the world's smallest mammal?
Bumblebee bat (aka Kitti's hog-nosed bat)
78
What is the world's largest mammal?
Blue whales
79
Describe the appearance of the earliest mammals
Shrew-like
80
What covers the bodies of mammals?
Hair (reduced in some)
81
What are three types of glands present in mammals?
1. Sweat glands
2. Scent glands
3. Sebaceous glands
82
What is the defining characteristic of mammals?
Mammary glands for nursing young (modified sweat glands)
83
How many occipital condyles attach the skull to the vertebral column in mammals?
two
84
Describe the jaw of mammals
A single large bone on each side
85
What are ossicles?
Middle ear bones
86
How many ossicles do mammals have?
Three
87
Where are the malleus and incus that are present in mammals derived from?
Small bones in the reptilian jaw
88
Describe the blood cells of mammals
Anucleate
89
What separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities in mammals?
Diaphragm
90
How do mammals regulate their body temperature?
Endothermic
91
Describe the fertilization of eggs in mammals?
Internal fertilization
92
How many chambers are in the hearts of mammals?
4-chambered heart
93
Which sex is the heterogametic sex in mammals?
Male (XY)
94
What does heterodont mean?
teeth of various types
95
What are four types of teeth present in mammals?
1. Incisors
2. Cuspids (canines)
3. Bicuspids (pre-molars)
4. Molars
96
What is a significantly developed region in the brains of mammals?
Large cerebral cortex
97
What are two subclasses of the class mammalia?
1. Prototheria
| 2. Theria
98
What is an Order in the Subclass Prototheria?
Monotremata
99
Describe the monotremata
Egg-laying mammals
100
What are two (2) examples of monotremata?
1. Duck-billed platypus
| 2. Spiny anteaters (echidnas)
101
What are two Infraclasses in the Subclass Theria?
1. Metatheria
| 2. Eutheria
102
What mammals are contained in the subclass Metatheria?
7 orders of pouched mammals.
103
Describe the development of Metatheria young
Young raised in the uterus for only a short time; finish development in the pouch.
104
What mammals are contained in the subclass Metatheria?
All other orders of mammals that are not egg-laying or pouched.
105
Describe the development of Eutheria young
Young develop completely in the uterus connected to the mother by the placenta
106
Define Ecology
study of interactions between organisms and with their physical environment
107
What is the hierarchy of ecological investigations from least to most inclusive?
1. Population
2. Community
3. Ecosystem
4. Biomes
108
Define population [Ecology]
group of interbreeding members of the same species found in same location
109
Define community [Ecology]
interactions among populations of different species (all living)
110
Define Ecosystem [Ecology]
interactions between community and its physical environment (living and abiotic)
111
Define Biomes [Ecology]
planetary perspective of ecosystem types (e.g. all Deserts in the world)
112
What are three (3) ways to measure Population density?
1. Plot samping
2. Mark-recapture
3. Population indices
113
What is population density?
Number of individuals per unit of area or volume
114
Describe plot sampling
Extrapolating entire range by counting all individuals in a few randomly-selected plots
115
Describe mark-recapture
Animals are trapped, marked and released into population. At a later date traps are run again and estimates are made based on numbers of recaptures.
116
What is the formula used for Mark-recapture estimations?
(# marked * # captured in second trapping) / #recaptured
117
Describe population indices
Counting nests, tracks at scent posts, fecal droppings etc. to get information on population
118
What is dispersion?
Spacing of individuals within a population
119
What are three (3) types of dispersion?
1. Clumped (most common)
2. Uniform
3. Random (least common)
120
Describe clumped dispersion
individuals occur in patches
121
Describe uniform dispersion
Individuals are evenly spaced, often the result of competition
122
Describe random dispersion
individuals occur in unpredictable patterns
123
What are survivorship curves?
relationship showing number of individuals in a cohort alive at each age category
124
What is a cohort?
individuals that are the same age
125
What are three types of survivorship?
1. Type I
2. Type II
3. Type III
126
Describe Type I survivorship
exhibit very little mortality in childhood; death occurs as a result of genetically programmed uniform age of mortality
127
Describe Type II survivorship
The mortality rate is constant across all ages
128
Type III survivorship
Mortality is extremely high during childhood but at adulthood the life expectancy levels off
129
What is an example of an organism with Type I survivorship
Humans in developed countries
130
What is an example of an organism with Type II survivorship
Hyrda and Squirrels
131
What is an example of an organism with Type III survivorship
Oysters
132
What are three (3) components to a population growth pattern?
1. Intrinsic rate of growth
2. Carrying capacity
3. Life history traits
133
What are two (2) curves describing intrinsic rate of growth?
1. Exponential growth curve
| 2. Biological growth curve
134
Describe an exponential growth curve
The number of individuals increases at a constant rate
135
What are examples of species with exponential growth?
weeds and insects (no restrictions on population size)
136
Describe a biological growth curve
Sigmoid curve with three components:
1. Establishment phase
2. Exponential growth
3. Curve is asymptotic to carrying capacity
137
What is a limiting factor?
A factor that causes population growth to decrease
138
What is a density-dependent limiting factor?
A limiting factor dependent on population size
139
What is the carrying capacity?
Represented by K. The number of individuals at which the population stabilizes.
140
What are life history traits?
Strategies by an organism that characterize its use of resources
141
What are two types of life history traits?
1. R-selection
| 2. K-selection
142
What characterizes R-selection?
Favors productivity (having babies)
143
What factors limit population growth for r-selection populations?
Density-independent limiting factors (harsh, unpredictable environments)
144
Describe the life spans of r-selection organisms
Often less than 1 year
145
Describe the body size of r-selection organisms
Small body size
146
When do r-selection organisms reproduce?
Early, single-stage reproduction
147
Describe the offspring of r-selection organisms
Lots of offspring are produced with low survival
148
Describe the parenting of r-selection organisms
Minimal parental care of offspring
149
What characterizes K-selection organisms?
favors efficient use of the environment
150
What factors limit population growth for K-selection organisms?
Density-dependent limiting factors
151
Describe the life span of K-selection organisms
Long-lived individuals
152
Describe the body size of K-selection organisms
Relatively large body size
153
When do K-selection organisms reproduce?
Delayed and repeated reproduction
154
Describe the parenting of K-selection organisms
Young develop slower and there is increased parental care
155
What are two ways Biodiversity is measured?
1. species richness
| 2. relative abundance
156
What is species richness?
the number of species present in a community
157
What is relative abundance
The proportional representation of a species in a community
158
What interspecific interaction can be detrimental to both species?
Competition
159
What interspecific interaction can be beneficial to both species?
Mutualism
160
What are four (4) interspecific interactions that are beneficial to one species and detrimental to the other?
1. Predation
2. Herbivory
3. Parasitism
4. Disease
161
What interspecific interaction has one species that benefits and the other species is unaffected?
Commensalism
162
What are two (2) possible results of competition?
1. Competitive Exclusion Principle (Gause's principle)
| 2. Resource partitioning
163
Define the competitive exclusion principle
Two species with identical ecological niches cannot occupy the same area. One will be more efficient and eliminate the other.
164
Describe resource partitioning
Competitive species will undergo character displacement to shift their niches
165
Define character displacement
changes in behavior or morphology
166
What are three (3) plant responses to herbivory?
1. Physical barriers
2. Chemical defenses
3. Masting
167
What are three (3) types of chemical defenses by a plant?
1. Distasteful
2. Hormone mimics
3. Poisonous
168
When are two (2) times a plant may use chemical defenses?
1. Some plants produce chemical defenses that are present at all times.
2. Others produce chemical defenses after initial attack.
169
What is the downside of producing chemical defenses at all times? [herbivory]
Energy intensive and may reduce reproduction
170
What is masting?
Producing many seeds so that some offspring will live on.
171
What are two broad categories of animal responses to predation?
1. Active defenses
| 2. Passive defenses
172
What are three (3) examples of active defense? [predation]
1. Fleeing
2. Alarm calls for mobbing
3. Defense posturing
173
What are three (3) types of passive defenses?
1. Cryptic coloration
2. Aposematic coloration
3. Batesian mimicry
4. Mullerian mimicry
174
What is aposematic coloration?
Warning colors found in animals that are harmful
175
What is batesian mimicry?
The mimic is a harmless, the model uses aposematic coloration.
176
What is Mullerian mimicry?
both the mimic and the model are harmful. (many wasps and bees are yellow and black striped)
177
What is a trophic structure?
feeding relationship between organisms in a community
178
What is a food chain?
Relationship between organisms and their associated trophic level
179
What is a trophic level?
Primary producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer etc.
180
What is the 10% rule?
The energy is reduced by a magnitude of ten as it passes from one trophic level to the next.
181
What is the consequence of the 10% rule on food chains?
The length of a food chain is limited to a maximum of five levels.
182
What is a food web?
A more elaborate food chain that shows an organism at more than one trophic level simultaneously.
183
What is a dominant species in a food web?
Species that are very abundant but have a surprisingly small role on the ecology if removed.
184
What is a keystone species in a food web?
Less abundant species that exert a much greater impact on the ecology if removed.
185
What is ecological succession?
the orderly change in species composition and community structure following an ecological disturbance
186
What are two types of ecological succession?
1. Primary succession
| 2. Secondary succession
187
Define primary succession
Succession in a barren landscape where no soil has formed
188
Define secondary succession
Succession in a landscape where the soil still remains although the rest of the community was wiped out
189
How does soil develop in primary succession?
(1) Weathering of the rock and (2) organic accumulation of decomposed early colonizers.
190
What is biodiversity?
the diversity of species found in a community
191
Where in the world is species richness is the greatest?
In the tropics and decreases as one moves toward the polar regions
192
What are two factors that result in the tropics having the greatest species richness?
1. growing season in the tropics is 5 times longer (speciation runs five times faster)
2. Geographic size
193
What is a species-area curve?
A relationship between the area of a habitat and the number of species it can host.
194
Describe the path of energy through an ecosystem
Enters ecosystem from the sun, flows through the trophic levels and exits the ecosystem as heat. [Energy flows]
195
What are detritivores?
Bacteria, fungi and invertebrates that break down non-living organic material and release the components back into the system for use by plants.
196
What are four (4) processes facilitating the Nitrogen cycle?
1. Nitrogen fixation
2. decay
3. nitrification
4. denitrification
197
Describe nitrogen fixation [Nitrogen cycle]
Nitrogen fixing bacteria transform atmospheric N2 to ammonium NH4+
198
Describe nitrification [Nitrogen cycle]
Nitrifying bacteria transform NH4+ into nitrites NO2- and nitrates NO3-
199
Describe denitrification [Nitrogen cycle]
Denitrifying bacteria transform nitrates NO3- into N2 and release it into atmosphere
200
What is assimilation? [Nitrogen cycle]
Plants use nitrates NO3- to make compounds that can be consumed by animals
201
Describe decay
Nitrogen passes through the trophic levels and is metabolized by decomposers such as bacteria and fungi into ammonium NH4+
202
What are two measurements of energy production in an Ecosystem?
1. Gross primary production (GPP)
| 2. Net primary production (NPP)
203
Define Gross primary production
The total amount of solar energy that is converted to chemical energy by primary producers
204
Define Net primary production
Gross primary production minus the energy used by the primary producers for respiration
205
Which measurement of energy production is available to the next trophic level?
Net primary production
206
What is the most productive terrestrial ecosystem?
Tropical forests
207
What are three (3) reasons why tropical forests are the most productive terrestrial ecosystem?
1. large surface area
2. large biomass of primary producers
3. long growing seasons
208
What is the most productive aquatic ecosystem?
Open oceans
209
Why is the open ocean the most productive ecosystem?
Its large size
210
What is the most productive aquatic ecosystem per unit area?
Estuaries and reefs
