Ecology and Evolution

Zoology

I. Measuring Earth’s ageA. radiometric dating

1. calculation of the age of an object by measuring the proportions of the radioactive

isotopes of certain elementsa. isotopes: forms of an element with different atomic massb. radioisotopes: unstable elements (parent) that give off charged particles (radiation)c. This change or decay results in a more stable isotope

Radiometric Dating

d. Use elements with known decay ratese. Half-life – the time it takes for a radioactive element to lose half of its radioactive materialf. Examples:

1)Carbon-14 to Nitrogen-14 = 5730 years

2)Uranium-238 to Lead-206 = 4.5 billion years

3)Potassium-40 to Argon-40 =1.25 billion years

II. Developing Complex Organisms

A. Scientist theorize that earth is 4.5 billion years old

B. The oldest fossils are 3.5 billion years old.

1. fossil: preserved or mineralized remains or imprint of an organism that lived long ago.

C. Fossil Record1. Fossils can be dated using

radiometric dating

2. Conditions must be just right to form a fossil.

a. Covered with sediment, desiccated, or frozen very quickly and preserved.

3. The fossil record is not complete and probably never will be

a. Many “missing links” of fossils not found

IV. Pangea

A. Scientists believe the continents were once connected

B. Continental Drift

1. movement of the earths land masses over geological time

Evolution

Changes in traits within populations over many generations (change over time)

Processes

Variation –phenotype results from genotype + environment

Reproduction –genetic recombination due to independent assortment

Selection – there is a variation in the ability to survive and reproduce. Those with an advantage over competitors have more offspring

Charles Darwin

Lived in the 1800s Was a British naturalist Sailed on HMS Beagle

in 1831 Made notes of

distribution of wildlife and collected fossils

Came up with Natural Selection

Natural Selection

Individuals that have physical or behavioral traits that better suit their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than those that do not have such traits.

“Survival of the fittest”

Natural Selection Principles

The individuals of a given species vary in traits and behaviors.

All organisms produce more offspring then can actually survive.

Individuals that are best adapted to environment survive.

Survivors pass their traits on to their offspring.

Evolution Vocab

Mutation – a permanent change to DNA (good or bad)

Adaptation – a change in an organism that makes it better suited to its environment

Extinction – death of every member of a species

Evolution Vocab

Evolutionary tree or cladogram – shows relationships between species that are thought to have a common ancestor

Evolution Vocab

Speciation – the process by which new biological species arise

Divergent evolution – differences between groups which can lead to the formation of a new species

Adaptation leads to:Adaptive Radiation

Evolutionary diversification that forms many new species from a single ancestor species

Isolation: two populations of the same species cannot breed with one another.

I. Evidence

A. In the fossil record

1. evidence of modern whales linked to land mammals

2. studied by paleontologists

B. Biological molecules

1. Proteins

2. nucleic acids

C. Anatomy1. Vestigial structures

a. structures that are not used any more, but are thought to have had some purpose at one time

2. Homologous structuresa. similar body structures in

organismsb. not always for the same

purpose

II. How does evolution occur?

A. gradualism

1. gradual change over long periods of time

B. punctuated equilibrium

2. periods of rapid change separated by periods of little or no change

III. Example of Evolution

A. Industrial Melanism

1. darkening of populations in response to pollution

2. Peppered Moths

B. Divergence

1. The accumulation of differences between groups

2. Divergence leads to the formation of a new species.

C. speciation

1. The process through which new species form.

I. EcologyA. The study of living things

in their environmentB. The Biosphere

1. All living things

C. Includes all biotic and abiotic components

1. biotic- living thingsa. Animalsb. plants

2. Abiotic- Non-living thingsa. Soilb. Waterc. Air

*Come up with some examples of each.

II. The THEORY of Ecology

A. Everything is connected to everything else

B. Everything must go somewhere

C. NATURE knows best (not man!)

D. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Every gain is at a cost.

III. Terminology of EcologyA. Habitat- Where an organism lives

1. desert, forest, ocean, lake, etc. B. Species- group of interbreeding

individuals of common ancestry that are reproductively isolated.

1. HumansC. Population- groups of organisms of the same species

1. Our class D. Community- Populations of different species coexisting.

1. A prairie with Hawks, Rabbits, and Grass

(*give an example for each-share)

E. Primary producer- gets energy first from the sun and provide energy (food) for others

1. Plants, some bacteria, algea

F. Primary consumers- get energy from primary producers

1. rabbits

G. Secondary consumers- get energy from primary consumers

1. Snake

H. Tertiary consumers- get energy from secondary consumers (and primary consumers)

1. Hawk

IV. Transfer of Energy

A. trophic levels- a graphic organizer that shows how energy flows through a specific ecosystem

1. Every time you go up a level you loose 90% of the energy

2. energy leaves as heat (metabolism)

(Game)

Transfer of Energy-the food chain

Abiotic Components—(elements) CHOPKNS Ca, Fe, Mg, NaCl

Primary Producers—Phytoplankton100% of the energy available

Primary Consumers—zooplankton10% of the energy available

Secondary Consumer—Anchovy, small fish

Tertiary Consumer—Trout, larger fish

4th level Consumer--Human1/10,000 Of the original energy

1/10

1/10

1/10

1/10

Trophic

Levels(Sketch in Notes)

Transfer of EnergyImagine this example as cold hard cash!

$10,000.00

$1,000.00

$100.00

$.10

At each level, 90% of the energy is lost in the

form of heat

$10.00

$1.00

Producer?

Primary Consumer?

Secondary Consumer?

Tertiary Consumer?

V. EcosystemA. A given space that includes all biotic and abiotic factorsB. Species Interactions

1. Heterotrophs: get energy from eating other organisms

a. carnivores- meat1.) Lion

b. herbivores –plants2.) Gazelle

c. omnivores – both meat and plants

3.) Beard. decomposers- break down

dead material4.) Bacteria and Fungi

2. Autotrophs: make their own energy from the sun

Carnivore?

Herbivore?

Omnivore?

Decomposer?

Oak tree EcosystemAll live together making up a community with the abiotic factors as well

Got you birdie!

C. Food Chain

1. shows how each living thing gets food

D. Food Web

1. A network of interconnected food chains

The Food Chain