Biodiversity and Classification What is Biodiversity Biodiversity can

Biodiversity and Classification

What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity can be defined as the range of life in an area. It includes not only the diversity among species but the diversity within a species. Recall: A species, as defined by Ernst Mayer, is a reproductive community of populations (reproductively isolated from others) that occupies a specific niche in nature. i. e. they share DNA with each other and not other species.

O Scientists believe there may be as many as 30 million species of plants, animals and micro-organisms living on the Earth today. Every one of them plays a part in the global ecosystem. Taxonomists have only identified and named approximately 1. 7 million of them so far.

O But classifying organisms is an attempt to make the relatedness between species understood. O We classify many things around us to organize and simplify our lives.

Types of Classification • religion • gender • colour • size or shape • social status • year of manufacture • monetary worth, etc

Systemics • Systemics is the branch of biology that deals with classifying living things, both current and prehistoric.

Taxonomy: • Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species and organizing them into systems of classification.

O Prior to the time of the Swedish botanist, Carolus Linnaeus, in the early 18 th century, there was no consistent way of naming and classifying species. • Linnaeus invented a standardized system of classifying and naming organisms. • His system used binomial nomenclature (two words) for naming organisms. • He assigned a two-word Latin name to each organism

OOur taxonomic system places similar species into groups and then breaks these into subgroups, subsubgroups etc.

KINGS PLAY CHESS ON FINE GRAINED SAND. This memory device is to help you remember the taxonomic levels. The first letter of each word represents a group in descending order. OR King Phillip Came Over From Greece Secretly!

KINGS PLAY CHESS ON FINE GRAINED SAND Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

KINGS PLAY CHESS ON FINE GRAINED SAND Kingdom ANIMALIA Phylum CHORDATA Class MAMMALIA Order PRIMATES HOMONIDAE Family HOMO Genus SAPIENS Species

• An organisms scientific name comes it’s last two groupings, genus and species. • Ex. Humans = Homo sapiens • dogs = Canis familiaris • notice that a scientific name is italicized or underlined • genus is capitalized, species

• most times the species name is descriptive • if 2 species are in the same genus they must be very similar • ex - Ursus americanus black bear U. horribilis grizzly bear

Phylogenic Trees O A phylogenetic tree or evolutionary tree is a branching diagram or "tree" showing the imbedded evolutionary relationships among various species based upon similarities and differences in their physical and/or genetic characteristics. The species joined together in the tree are implied to have descended from a common ancestor.

Cladogram O Similar in look to a pedigree, a cladogram illustrates ancestral relationships between species but are modern in the fact that they use DNA similarities to classify and divide.

Classification – Then and Now

Classification O Historically, all living things have been classified into 5 kindoms O 1) Kingdom Monera: O Bacteria O Prokaryotic cells (have no nucleus) O Eg. Streptococcus bacteria

Streptococcus O Most common form is Streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat). O Some species of Streptococcus are responsible for meningitis, bacteria pneumonia and flesh eating disease. O Some are non-pathogenic – necessary ingredient in Swiss cheese, also part of the normal flora of bacteria in mouth, skin, intestine and upper respiratory tract of humans.

O 2) Kingdom Protista O Complex single celled organisms, some multicellular O Eukaryotic cells (have nucleus) O Protozoa, algae O Eg. Plasmodium

Plasmodium O Causes parasitic malaria O 200 known species, with 11 infecting humans. Others infect monkeys, rodents, birds and reptiles. O Needs 2 hosts in a life cycle, 1 mosquito vector (does not actually get the infection) and 1 vertebrate host (gets the infection)

O 3) Kingdom Fungi OMulticellular, filmentous form OEukaryotic cell OEg. Molds, yeasts, mushrooms

Omphalotus olearius O The Jack-o-Lantern mushroom is an orange to yellow coloured mushroom that looks similar to the chanterelle mushroom. O Has bioluminescence properties. O Not poisonous but will cause severe cramps, vomiting and diarrhea.

O 4) Kingdom Plantae O Multicellular with specialized complex cells. O Eukaryotic O Can be divided into vascular (flowering plants, trees) and non-vascular (mosses, lichen)

Rafflesia arnoldii O Although technically a member of the plant kingdom, Rafflesia challenges traditional definitions of what a plant is because they lack chlorophyll and are therefore incapable of photosynthesis. O And according to all accounts of those who have gotten close enough to tell they have an odor similar to a carcass in advanced decomposition. !

O 5) Kingdom Animalia O Multicellular with specialized complex cells. O Eukaryotic O Range from invertebrates, to fish, to reptiles, to amphibians, to birds to mammals

Reptile O Completely terrestrial O O vertebrates. Scaly skin that can withstand desiccation. Expanded lung system Turtles, crocodiles, lizards, snakes and tuatara. Hard shelled eggs that do not need to be laid in water. O O O Amphibian 3 groups of vertebrates: frogs, salamanders and caecilians. Smooth, scale less skin, permeable to water. Active at night and when it rains. Can get moisture from surrounding soil. Eggs laid in water.

Tuatara Caecilians

The Domains O Livings things are not only divided into the 5 kingdoms, we also further divide them into what is called a DOMAIN. O These domains account for organisms that are called extremophiles (organisms living in extreme environments – too hot, salty, acidic, etc).

The 3 Domains O 1) Domain Archaea: O Prokaryotic organisms living in extreme environments. The resemble bacteria in many ways but can survive in environments that contain methane, sulphur, extreme temperatures, extreme acidity, etc.

Heat Loving Bacteria Thermophiles prefer temperatures from 50 to 70 °C (122 to 158 °F), whilst hyperthermophiles grow better at temperatures as high as 80 to 110 °C (176 to 230 °F).

The 3 Domains O 2) Domain Eubacteria: O Prokaryotic organism living almost anywhere (water, soil, atmosphere, skin, etc. ) Includes the Kingdom Monera.

Bacillus anthracis O Also know as ANTHRAX O Spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, with a width O O of 1 -1. 2µm and a length of 3 -5µm. Anthrax can be found in 3 forms: 1) Cutaneous: the most common form (95%), causes a localized inflammatory black necrotic lesion 2) Pulmonary: highly fatal and characterized by sudden massive chest edema followed by cardiovascular shock 3) Gastrointestinal: rare but also fatal (causes death to 25%) type results from ingestion of spores

The 3 Domains O 3) Domain Eukarya: O Eukaryotic Cells O Including Kingdoms Protista, Animalia, Fungi and Plantae.

Homework O Read pages 560 -561. O Read pages 566 to 571, excluding ‘The Bacteria’ on page 571 O Be prepared to answer specifics from those pages. O Research the full taxonomy (KPCOFGS) names of the following Manitoba organisms – for hand in: O O Arctic Fox Caribou Canada Goose Blueberry plant O Complete PART 1 of the cladogram assignment – for hand in