Taxonmy

Question 1

What is biodiversity?

Answer 1

The variety of life in a particular area, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans.

Biodiversity can be categorized into genetic, species, and ecosystem biodiversity.

Question 2

What are the three levels of biodiversity?

Answer 2

• Genetic biodiversity
• Species biodiversity
• Ecosystem biodiversity

Each level focuses on different aspects of biological variety.

Question 3

Define genetic biodiversity.

Answer 3

The variety of individuals (or genes/DNA) in a population.

More genetic variation is found in healthy populations, aiding survival.

Question 4

Why is genetic biodiversity important?

Answer 4

It ensures that certain individuals are more likely to survive environmental changes.

This concept relates to the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’.

Question 5

Which branches of biology study genetic biodiversity?

Answer 5

• Genetics
• Evolutionary biology
• Conservation

These fields focus on understanding genetic variation and its implications.

Question 6

What is species biodiversity?

Answer 6

The variety of species in a particular area.

A species is defined as a group of like organisms capable of reproducing.

Question 7

What defines a population in terms of species?

Answer 7

A group of the same species living in a particular area.

Populations are studied in fields like ecology and conservation.

Question 8

What are endemic species?

Answer 8

Species that are indigenous and naturally found only in a particular area.

They are not found naturally anywhere else.

Question 9

What is ecosystem biodiversity?

Answer 9

The variety of ecosystems found in a particular area.

Examples include different forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

Question 10

Who typically studies ecosystem biodiversity?

Answer 10

Ecologists.

They focus on the interactions within ecosystems and their components.

Question 11

How many species of plants and animals are estimated to exist on Earth?

Answer 11

Around 8.7 million species

This includes both identified and unidentified species.

Question 12

What percentage of Earth’s species have been identified?

Answer 12

Approximately 1.2 million species

Most identified species are insects.

Question 13

What are indigenous species?

Answer 13

Species that are naturally found in a particular area

Indigenous species are native to their environment.

Question 14

Define endemic species.

Answer 14

Indigenous species that are found only in a particular area and nowhere else

Endemic species have a restricted distribution.

Question 15

What are alien species?

Answer 15

Species that are living outside their natural range

Alien species are often introduced by human activity.

Question 16

What are invasive alien species?

Answer 16

Alien species that establish and spread quickly, causing environmental or economic damage

They can disrupt local ecosystems.

Question 17

What is biological classification?

Answer 17

The scientific process of grouping and organizing biodiversity

It helps in understanding the diversity of life.

Question 18

What is taxonomy?

Answer 18

The science of identifying, describing, naming, and classifying organisms with shared features into taxa

Taxonomists perform this classification.

Question 19

Define systematics.

Answer 19

The study of diversity and evolutionary relationships of taxa over time

It often involves the analysis of evolutionary patterns.

Question 20

What do evolutionary biologists study in relation to taxonomy and systematics?

Answer 20

How different species or taxa evolved and their relationships

They explore common ancestry of all life on Earth.

Question 21

What is a phylogenetic tree?

Answer 21

A diagram showing the lines of evolutionary descent of different taxa from a common ancestor

It illustrates how different taxa are related.

Question 22

What is a taxon?

Answer 22

Any named group of organisms

The plural form is taxa.

Question 23

True or False: Vast numbers of species are currently going extinct before they are discovered.

Answer 23

True

This highlights the importance of biodiversity conservation.

Question 24

What is formal taxonomy?

Answer 24

A science that is internationally standardized for naming organisms

Question 25

Why is formal taxonomy important for communication?

Answer 25

It prevents synonyms and is universal in language

Question 26

What are some key reasons for using a formal system of taxonomy?

Answer 26

* Ease of communication * Document biodiversity * Better understanding of evolution

Question 27

How does formal taxonomy aid in biodiversity conservation?

Answer 27

It helps identify and document existing diversity

Question 28

Who was the first to formulate a somewhat scientific approach to biological classification?

Answer 28

Aristotle

Question 29

What did Aristotle call his view of the hierarchy of organisms?

Answer 29

The 'Ladder of Nature'

Question 30

According to Aristotle, what are the two major groups of organisms?

Answer 30

* Plants * Animals

Question 31

What characteristics did Aristotle attribute to plants?

Answer 31

They are usually green, stationary, can reproduce, and grow

Question 32

What distinguishes animals from plants in Aristotle's classification?

Answer 32

Animals can move, search for food, and experience sensation

Question 33

True or False: Aristotle recognized the existence of one-celled organisms.

Answer 33

False

Question 34

Fill in the blank: Aristotle thought that animals are higher-level organisms because they can _______.

Answer 34

move around

Question 35

What did Aristotle believe allows animals to survive better than plants?

Answer 35

The ability to leave unfavorable environments

Question 36

How did people living close to nature classify organisms?

Answer 36

According to their needs and local importance

Question 37

Who were the notable figures in botany that dominated scientific classification for 1,400 years?

Answer 37

Aristotle and Theophrastus ## Footnote Aristotle's method heavily influenced scientific classification until the 19th century.

Question 38

What was the common issue with naming organisms before the 19th century?

Answer 38

Lack of a common naming system ## Footnote Each scientist had their own naming style based on perceived important characteristics.

Question 39

What language was predominantly used for naming organisms before the standardization of nomenclature?

Answer 39

Latin ## Footnote Latin was the language of learning and scholarship during this time.

Question 40

What is the binomial system of nomenclature?

Answer 40

A naming system using two words: genus and species ## Footnote Introduced by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758.

Question 41

In what year did Carolus Linnaeus establish his rules for naming organisms?

Answer 41

1758 ## Footnote This year marks the formal introduction of the binomial nomenclature system.

Question 42

What are the taxonomic ranks introduced by Linnaeus?

Answer 42

Kingdom, class, order, genus, species ## Footnote These ranks organize organisms from greatest to smallest diversity.

Question 43

What does the term 'binomial' refer to in the binomial system of nomenclature?

Answer 43

Two parts ## Footnote 'Nomenclature' refers to naming.

Question 44

What are the rules for writing species names in binomial nomenclature?

Answer 44

* Genus name capitalized * Species epithet in lowercase * Both italicized or underlined ## Footnote Example: Panthera pardus.

Question 45

How can the genus name be abbreviated after its first mention?

Answer 45

To its first letter ## Footnote For example, Panthera pardus can be shortened to P. pardus.

Question 46

What should be written in place of the species epithet when the species name is unknown?

Answer 46

sp. ## Footnote For example, Panthera sp. indicates an unknown species within the genus Panthera.

Question 47

True or False: The original naming of organisms was concise and standardized.

Answer 47

False ## Footnote Naming was often lengthy and varied among scientists.

Question 48

What significant contribution did Linnaeus make to the field of taxonomy?

Answer 48

Developed taxonomic keys for identifying organisms ## Footnote His keys made it easier to classify plants and animals.

Question 49

What is the priority rule for naming species in scientific papers?

Answer 49

The first time a name for a species is published takes priority over any other names.

Question 50

What is a taxon?

Answer 50

Any named group of organisms, regardless of rank.

Question 51

List the commonly used taxonomic ranks from highest to lowest.

Answer 51

* domain * kingdom * phylum * class * order * family * genus * species

Question 52

What is the purpose of taxonomic keys?

Answer 52

To identify specimens by listing features that can be compared to an unknown organism.

Question 53

What is a dichotomous key?

Answer 53

A key that has pairs of statements about characteristics used for identification.

Question 54

Who proposed the Kingdom Protista and when?

Answer 54

Ernst Haeckel in 1866.

Question 55

What are the five kingdoms in the five kingdom system?

Answer 55

* Monera * Protista * Fungi * Plantae * Animalia

Question 56

What types of organisms are included in the Kingdom Monera?

Answer 56

Prokaryotic organisms such as Bacteria and Archaea.

Question 57

Who added fungi and bacteria kingdoms to the classification system and when?

Answer 57

Robert Whittaker in 1969.

Question 58

What are the three domains in the three domain system?

Answer 58

* Bacteria * Archaea * Eukarya

Question 59

What type of organisms does the domain Archaea include?

Answer 59

Unique prokaryotes living in extreme environments.

Question 60

What is the significance of Carl Woese's discovery in 1977?

Answer 60

He discovered archaebacteria, leading to a revised three-domain system.

Question 61

Fill in the blank: The most commonly used taxonomic rank below kingdom is _______.

Answer 61

phylum

Question 62

True or False: Linnaeus recognized more than two kingdoms in his classification system.

Answer 62

False

Question 63

What was the immediate impact of Darwin's theory on taxonomic classifications?

Answer 63

Understanding of evolution did not immediately change taxonomic classifications ## Footnote However, it did alter the significance of taxa.

Question 64

What hypothesis is generated when two groups of organisms share the same characteristics?

Answer 64

The grouped organisms are related to each other evolutionarily; they share a common ancestor ## Footnote This reflects the concept of common ancestry in evolution.

Question 65

What do modern systematists use to group organisms?

Answer 65

Shared characteristics due to shared common ancestry ## Footnote This contrasts with grouping based on overall similarity.

Question 66

What is the difference between homologous characteristics and overall similarity?

Answer 66

Homologous characteristics indicate common ancestry, while overall similarity may not ## Footnote For example, a worm and a snake may be grouped by shape, but a snake and a rat share more meaningful traits.

Question 67

Fill in the blank: Organisms are grouped based on _______.

Answer 67

shared characteristics due to shared common ancestry

Question 68

True or False: Grouping organisms by overall similarity is the same as grouping them by homologous characteristics.

Answer 68

False ## Footnote Overall similarity does not necessarily indicate evolutionary relationships.