Explain adaptive radiation and how the different paper forms made by the “finches” helped or hurt that particular “finch species”
The evolutionary
diversification of a species or single ancestral lineage into various forms
that are each adaptively specialized to a specific environmental niche.
Adaptive radiation generally proceeds most rapidly in environments where there
are numerous unoccupied niches or where competition for resources is minimal.
An example is shown in
Darwin's finches, 14 species of small land birds of the Galápagos Islands. All
the finches derive from a single species of ground-dwelling, seed-eating finch
that probably emigrated from the South American mainland. Because the
environmental niches, or habitats, were unoccupied on the isolated islands, the
ancestral stock was able to differentiate into diverse species; 3 species are
ground-dwelling seedeaters, 3 live on cactus plants and are seedeaters, 1 is a
tree-dwelling seedeater, and 7 are tree-dwelling insecteaters.
Random House Webster’s
College Dictionary, 2010. Adaptive radiation_ Medical dictionary
[Internet]. [Cited March 8, 2014 ] Available from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/adaptive+radiation
With the pray survival data you collect, graph survivor ship over time
Explain
how behavioral adaptations my lead to genetic changes in a population
Adaptation is not always
a simple matter, where the ideal phenotype evolves for a given external
environment. An organism must be viable at all stages of its development and at
all stages of its evolution. This places constraints on the evolution of development,
behaviour and structure of organisms. The main constraint, over which there has
been much debate, is the requirement that each genetic and phenotypic change
during evolution should be relatively small, because developmental systems are
so complex and interlinked. However, it is not clear what "relatively
small" should mean, for example polyploidy in plants is a reasonably common large
genetic change.
Wikipedia. Modify March
6, 2014. Adaptation. [Internet][3/08/2014]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptation
A
species that has a behavioral adaptation that may allow its predator not to be
able to eat it or find it. Explain what this BEHAVIORAL adaptation is.
Behavioral adaptation
is characterized as being how an animals acts and behaves in order to stay
alive due to its climate. These behaviors can be distinctive or used for
protection.
An example is a
Chameleon: It's very hard to see the chameleon because his skin (a body part)
helps him blend in to avoid predators. This is an INHERITED PHYSICAL
ADAPTATION. He inherited his skin color and texture (trait) from his parents.
This trait is an ADAPTATION that helps him survive. Now, to help him not be
seem he had to LEARN not to move. The ability to be very still is a BEHAVIORAL
ADAPTATION (an action or behavior) that helps him survive.
Source: Tangient LLC. Copyright 2014. Traits
& Behaviors. [Internet][3/08/2014].
Available from: https://5thgradesciencegeek.wikispaces.com/Traits+%26+Behaviors
A
species that has a physical adaptation that allows it to survive in cold
weather.
Birds have many
superb adaptations that allow them to survive even in the most frigid
conditions, and birders who understand what birds need to keep warm can easily
help their feathered friends.
Physical Adaptations
·
Feathers: Birds’ feathers provide remarkable
insulation against the cold, and many bird species grow extra feathers as part
of a late fall molt to give them thicker protection in the winter. The oil that
coats birds’ feathers also provides insulation as well as waterproofing.
·
Legs
and Feet: Birds’ legs and feet
are covered with specialized scales that minimize heat loss. Birds can also
control the temperature of their legs and feet separately from their bodies by
constricting blood flow to their extremities, thereby reducing heat loss even
further.
·
Fat
Reserves: Even small birds can
build up fat reserves to serve as insulation and extra energy for generating
body heat. Many birds will gorge during the fall when food sources are
abundant, giving them an extra fatty layer before winter arrives.
Melissa Mayntz. 2014. How Do Wild Birds Keep Warm
in winter?. [Internet][3/08/2014]. Available
from: http://birding.about.com/od/birdingbasics/a/howbirdskeepwarm.htm
A
species that has a physical adaptation that allows it to survive from its
predators.
In their fight for survival, plants have evolved defenses
against herbivore. One main categories of defense that plants use. The first
defensive mechanism is mechanical defense, which includes
physical features such as thorns and needles.
An
example of mutualism in nature. Explain what mutualism is this case.
A second type of
symbiotic relationship is called mutualism, in which two species benefit from their
interaction. For example:The glucose produced by the algae provides nourishment
for both organisms, whereas the physical structure of the lichen protects the
algae from the elements and makes certain nutrients in the atmosphere more
available to the algae. The algae of lichens can live independently given the
right environment, but many of the fungal partners are unable to live on their
own.
Lichen is a fungus that
has symbiotic photosynthetic algae living in close association. (credit b:
modification of work by Cory Zanker) shows a tree covered with lichen.
Community Ecology. Edited by Connexions BiologyNM on
Mar 25, 2013. [Internet blog][3/09/2014]. Available from: http://cnx.org/content/m45555/latest/?collection=col11612/latest
An
example of commensalism in nature. Explain how your picture represents
commensalism.
A commensal
relationship occurs when one species benefits from a close prolonged
interaction, while the other neither benefits nor is harmed. Birds nesting in
trees provide an example of a commensal relationship. The tree is not harmed by
the presence of the nest among its branches. The nests are light and produce
little strain on the structural integrity of the branch, and most of the
leaves, which the tree uses to get energy by photosynthesis, are above the nest
so they are unaffected. The bird, on the other hand, benefits greatly. If the
bird had to nest in the open, its eggs and young would be vulnerable to
predators. Many potential commensal relationships are difficult to identify
because it is difficult to prove that one partner does not derive some benefit
from the presence of the other.
The southern masked-weaver is starting to make
a nest in a tree in Zambezi Valley, Zambia. This is an example of a commensal
relationship, in which one species (the bird) benefits, while the other (the
tree) neither benefits nor is harmed. (credit: “Hanay”/Wikimedia Commons) Photo
shows a yellow bird building a nest in a tree.
Community Ecology. Edited by Connexions BiologyNM on
Mar 25, 2013. [Internet blog][3/09/2014]. Available from: http://cnx.org/content/m45555/latest/?collection=col11612/latest
An
example of mimicry in nature. Explain what the mimicry is in this case.
In Central America,
some harmless snakes are so similar to poisonous coral snakes that only an
expert can distinguish the mimic from the 'model’
Mimicry between eastern coral snake and scarlet king
snake in Carolinas is a good example to explain the importance of biological
pigment in animals. Both species live in Carolinas, but the kingsnake is also
found in regions without poisonous coral snakes. The predators that inherit an
avoidance of coral snake’s colouration and hence they will attack less often
towards the scarlet king snake in the regions where coral snake could be found.
Kokv. Monday,
April 16, 2012. Uses of pigments in living organism and non-living organism.
[Internet blog][3/09/2014]. Available from: http://1chemistry.blogspot.com/2012/04/uses-of-pigments-in-living-organism-and.html
One
species from your country (plant animal insect etc) that has an adaptation that
lets it survive in your country. Explain.
With an average length
of 3.7 - 4.7 cm, Honduran white bats are tiny for a bat. True to their name,
they have a fluffy white coat. Their ears, face, nose and parts of their legs
and wings are bright orange. Almost no hair grows on their black wings. Since
their nose protrudes from their face in a triangular shape, scientists call
members of their family "leaf-nosed bats." There is a thin, black
membrane covering their skull that might provide the bats with protection from ultraviolet
radiation -- a natural form of sunscreen! Why do Honduran white bats have
bright white coats? Why are they not green like the leaves they hide inside?
When the sun shines through the leaves of their tent, it makes the bats' white
coat appear green, making them hard to spot! However, their tent is not home
sweet home for long. The bats rarely return to the same tent for more than a
day.
They live in
rainforests that have heliconia plants. By cutting along the veins of heliconia
leaves, these bats force the leaves to collapse into upside-down V-shaped
"tents" that might shelter only one bat, or as many as twelve bats.
When they roost, they hang close together upside down in the center of the
leaf. The tents help protect them during the daytime from rain, the hot sun and
predators. In fact, the bats choose leaves that are six feet off the ground --
high enough to be out of the reach of terrestrial predators. Also, the stems of
heliconia plants are not very strong, so any predator brushing against the leaf
causes the bats' tent to shake. This alerts the bats to danger and they fly
quickly away.
Photo
by Merlin Tuttle
Rainforest Alliance.Copyright 1987 – 2014. Honduran
White Bat (Ectophylla alba). [Internet
blog][3/09/2014].Available from: www.rainforest-alliance.org/kids/species-profiles/honduran-bat
