Download Biodiversity The variety and abundance of organisms, genes, and

Biodiversity
The variety and abundance of
organisms,
genes,
and
ecosystems found in a given area.
Types of Biodiversity
Species diversity:
the
variety and abundance of
species in a given area
Genetic diversity: The variety of heritable
characteristics (genes) in a population of
interbreeding individuals
Ecosystem diversity:
biosphere
The variety of ecosystems in the
Structural diversity: The variety of structural forms in living
things, from internal cell structure to body morphology
(shape)
Determining Relatedness
The science of taxonomy includes classifying and naming
organisms as well as determining the evolutionary history of groups
of organisms. This involves comparing species living today with
each other and with species that existed in the past.
• Evidence from anatomy – presence of homologous traits
(biological features that have a common evolutionary origin)
• Evidence from development – comparing early stages of
embryonic development can reveal structures that change or
disappear in adults
• Evidence from biochemistry – comparison of protein molecules
among organisms can indicate genetic similarities and
differences
• Evidence from DNA – DNA analysis can tell us how similar two
species are, as well as how long ago two species began to
diverge from a common ancestor
PBS: All in the Family
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/change/family/
What did T. rex taste like?
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/taste/