Concept explainers
To explain: The consequences for the evolution of those species that expanded or changed their geographic range after the last (Wisconsin) glacier retreated, about 12,000 years ago.
Introduction: Change in the heritable characteristics of the living organisms over time is known as evolution. There are changes in the genome that are transferred over generations. Evolution takes place mainly due to evolutionary forces such as mutation, genetic recombination, and so on. Mutations may be caused as a result of insertions or deletions of base pairs causing changes in the genome.
To explain: The effects of range changes on the species composition of ecological communities.
Introduction: Change in the heritable characteristics of the living organisms over time is known as evolution. There are changes in the genome that are transferred over generations. Evolution takes place mainly due to evolutionary forces such as mutation, genetic recombination, and so on. Mutations may be caused as a result of insertions or deletions of base pairs causing changes in the genome.
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution- Two islands exist in the eastern Pacific. The animal and plant life on both islands were wiped out by a freak storm at the same time. Island "A" is 100 miles off the coast of Peru; whereas island "B" is only 10 miles off Peru's coast. Island "A" is much smaller than island "B" (20 square miles as opposed to 75 square miles). Which island has a higher species richness equilibrium ? Explain why using the Theory of Island Biogeography.arrow_forwardplease explain A drawback of the time hypothesis to explain the variation in species richness is that 1. Cannot account for algal diversity. 2. Fossils do not preserve well in the oceans. 3. Geological activity may interfere with species richness measurements. 4. It is not applicable to marine ecosystems because there was no glaciation in oceans. 5. Humans significantly modified marine environments.arrow_forwardWhat do paleontological studies show about the relationship be-tween the geographic range of a species and its probability of un-dergoing speciation or extinction? How does this relationship present a paradox for biodiversity?arrow_forward
- If extinction is a natural part of life on Earth, why should we care about protectingendangered species Explainarrow_forwardWhat is the relationship between extinction, its impact on biodiversity, and ecosystems? When a species becomes extinct, the vacancy of that species allows another species to invade and transform the ecosystem so there is no longer biodiversity, which allows the ecosystem to flourish. The extinction of plants and animals leaves a vacancy in the biodiversity of the ecosystem, which can cause the ecosystem to collapse. The extinct plants and animals can come back as a different species, creating more biodiversity within the ecosystem. The extinction of plants and animals does not have an impact on the biodiversity of an ecosystem.arrow_forwardNatural processes of species formation and extinction emerge on a timescale measured in millions of years, whereas human-mediated extinctions are measured on a scale of years to decades. How does this discrepancy complicate our attempts to conserve biodiversity?arrow_forward
- Climate warming could lead to all-female populations of bearded dragons, resulting in extinction of the species. What are some other potential effects of climate warming on natural populations of organisms?arrow_forwardThe green world hypothesis was tested by Robert Paine and he found that when you removed the top predator, star fish, from the intertidal zone Group of answer choices: • None of the answers are correct • species diversity stayed the same • species diversity increased • species diversity decreasedarrow_forwardBiologists have observed much more similarity in species composition among boreal forests and among areas of tundra in Eurasia and North American than among areas of tropical rain forests or among Mediterranean woodlands around the globe. Can you offer an explanation of this contrast based on the global distribution of these biomes?arrow_forward
- The model of metapopulations also postulates that many species occupy their patches only temporarily, that sooner or later they will be eliminated by competition or some other factor. If this is true, would such a patch make a suitable wildlife preserve for that species? Discuss what wildlife managers might have to do with such a preserve.arrow_forwardAn extinction vortex describes a) changes in a population’s gene pool that lead to a loss in fitness across time. b) a species ability to adapt to changes in their environment. c) the continuous series of extinctions caused by competition between species. d) a population that has a reduction in fitness because it cannot escape a Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.arrow_forwardLiteral habitat islands surrounded by water are quite obvious, but how might the theory of island biogeography apply to terrestrial systems? Can you think of examples of land ‘islands’ where this same theory could apply?arrow_forward
- Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781305389892Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillanPublisher:Cengage Learning