Taxonomy 1 + 2

Question 1

What is taxonomy ?

Answer 1

1. Establishing the identity of organisms
2. Describing organisms- recognition of differences
3. Preserving organisms’ collections

Question 2

What is classification ?

Answer 2

Making sense of the worlds biological diversity

Question 3

Who is Carl Linnaeus ?

Answer 3

The founder of modern taxonomy
He developed the binomial nomenclature system

Question 4

Describe the hierarchical classification

Answer 4

1. Domain
2. Kingdom
3. Phylum
4. Class
5. Order
6. Family
7. Genus
8. Species

Question 5

What is the species name composed of ?

Answer 5

1. Genus name- capitalised and italics
2. Species name- lowercase and italics

Question 6

Who is Jean-Baptiste Lamarck ?

Answer 6

He proposed that organism evolve through the inheritance of acquired characteristics
Fundamentally wrong

Question 7

What is the typological species concept ?

Answer 7

A species is defined by morphological similarities and differences (eg. Physical appearance)

Question 8

What are the problems of typological species ?

Answer 8

Ignores intraspecific variation
1. Sexual dismorphism- same species, different sex
2. Life stages- different ages look different
3. Geographic and other variants- eg, fur colour

Question 9

What is the biological species concept ?

Answer 9

A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed to produce viable, fertile offspring, and are reproductively isolated from other such groups

Question 10

What are advantages of typological species concept ?

Answer 10

1. Morphology can be readily observed and perceived
2. Relatively easy to communicate it outside scientific community

Question 11

What is an advantage of the biological species concept ?

Answer 11

It is a species concept based on a mechanism

Question 12

What are disadvantages of the biological species concept ?

Answer 12

1. Excludes asexual reproduction and fossils
2. Allopatric species can be a challenge
3. Many organism have never been observed mating
4. Evolutionary intermediary

Question 13

What is the recognition species concept ?

Answer 13

Allopatric populations not interbreeding but same species recognise each other as potential mates

Question 14

What are the advantages of the recognition concept ?

Answer 14

1. Removes uncertainty regarding allopatric populations
2. Relies completely on the mechanism

Question 15

What are the disadvantages of recognition species concept ?

Answer 15

1. Excludes asexually reproducing organism and fossils
2. Only truly valid for animals

Question 16

What is the phylogenetic species concept ?

Answer 16

A species is the smallest monophyletic group on a phylogenetic tree eg, they share a common ancestor and are genetically distinct

Question 17

What are advantages of the phylogenetic species concept ?

Answer 17

1. Recognises the role of history in generating species
2. Can use nearly any sort of data

Question 18

What are disadvantages of the phylogenetic species concept ?

Answer 18

1. Can lead to splitting

Question 19

What is the genetic species concept ?

Answer 19

A species is a group of organisms with distinct genetic makeup

Question 20

What are advantages of the genetic species concept ?

Answer 20

1. Can deal with asexually reproducing organisms and fossils

Question 21

What are disadvantages of the genetic species concept ?

Answer 21

1. Relies on human judgment
2. Requires molecular tools and data

Question 22

What are polycyclic species ?

Answer 22

Species with several subspecies

Question 23

What are the purposes of classification?

Answer 23

1. Index of stored info
2. Enables predictions and generalisations be made concerning the biology of the organisms