Lesson 7 - Species Flashcards
(20 cards)
Taxonomy
The science of naming and organizing organisms into related groups
Carl Linnaeus
Swedish naturalist, founding father of taxonomy, creator of binomial species name.
Binomial Name
Contains genus name (generic name) and specific epithet
Genus name
Shared by all species of the same genus
Specific epithet
May be shared by unrelated species (Tyrannosaurus rex, othnielia Rex, nuralagus Rex)
Rule of priority
Once a species is officially given a binomial name, the name cannot be changed unless the organism turns out to not be a new species)
Peer reviewed
Not published until it has been reviewed by other scientists to verify the contents are legitimate and scientifically reasonable
Holotype
Physical example of the newly found species, kept in a research institution so other scientists may study it. Does not need to be a complete specimen.
Interspecific variation
Individuals that differ in morphology because they belong to different species.
Intraspecific variation
Individuals that belong to the same species but have different morphologies
Sexual dimorphism
Males and females looking different from eachother
Ontogenic variation
Ovarian ion visible between young and old individuals of the species (besides simple size differences)
Individual variation
Normal variation that exists among individuals of the same species
Taphonomic variation
Geologically caused variation due to plastic variation
Biological species concept
Defines a species as a group of organisms that can successfully interbreed
Population
Any grouping of organisms that live in the same geographic area and interbreed
Morphological species concept
Defines a species as a group of organisms that share a certain degree of physical similarity
Lumper
Palaeontologists who require more differences before they consider two species to be distinct
Splitter
Palaeontologists who require fewer differences before they consider two species to be distinct
Hesperonychus elizabethae
Very small dromaeosaurid dinosaur discovered in Alberta. Holotype resides at the u of a