answer 13 biological questions
1. Describe the classification scheme that biologists use to classify and order organisms?
2. Differentiate among historical figures and their principal contributions to the development of evolutionary thought. You do not need to know dates.
3. Identify the age of the Earth and identify the age that first evidence of life on the planet was discovered? Describe the basic time line of life and its major adaptive changes on Earth?
4. Describe the theory of natural selection and describe how it serves as the main selective agent of evolution?
5. Describe the 3 basic characteristics that are modified to provide adaptations. Provide some examples of adaptive, maladaptive and neutral features in humans and other organisms.
6. Describe the basics of cellular organization, genetics, DNA structure, and types of mutation as presented in lecture. Define terms and provide or recognize examples.
7. Describe the different types of recombination and explain how they increase variation.
8. Outline and discuss the basic steps of the evolutionary process. Discuss and provide examples for: a) sources and types of variation b) types of natural selection c) artificial selection d) types of pre and post-mating reproductive isolating mechanisms e) speciation
9. Recognize and identify graphs characterizing (1) variation and (2) natural selection. Describe how positive and negative aspects (and strengths of selection) affect the outcome of these graphs. Identify any special conditions that influence these outcomes? Provide examples of each type of natural selection.
10. Describe and provide examples of the bottleneck effect and the founder’s effect.
11. Distinguish between pre and post-mating barriers. Provide specific examples of each type of reproductive barrier.
12. Define a species. List the factors involved in forming a new species (i.e. speciation)? List and describe the physical evidence for the evolutionary process?
13. Define mass extinction. Identify the number of recorded mass extinction events throughout the history of life on earth? Describe the primary causes of mass extinction events. Describe the two theories that have been postulated to explain the mass extinction event at the K-T boundary that eliminated the dinosaurs.
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Biological Questions
Question#1
The classification and naming of the organisms are done with the help of two main systems, which were established by Linnaeus. The first system is known as Binomial Nomenclature, which is the naming of organisms by allocating two names, genus and species names. The second Linnaeus taxonomic system is majorly used in the classification of organisms.
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