CRM 3.1 Changes Over Time

Three subspecies of Spotted Owl are recognized in the United States. Of these, two are shown in the figure above. The Northern Spotted Owl is the darkest brown with the smallest white spots while the Mexican Spotted Owl is the smallest and lightest with the largest white spots. Speciation of these spotted owls is most likely due to which isolation mechanism?

• Ecological

• Temporal

• Mechanical

• Geographical

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Competition is a driving force behind natural selection. Which of these statements best

describes why competition is a constant pressure?

• Organisms produce more offspring than can survive

• Organisms are taught to fight others of the same species

• Organisms are taught to fight others of the same species

• Multiple species fill the same niche and competition will always arise against other

  species

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Although laws are in place to protect environmental marine ecosystems in the United States,

many of these laws are not global. How would untreated waste alter the biodiversity within

these regions for years to come?

• Biodiversity will increase since there are new types of nutrients available from the waste

• Genetic diversity improves with the increase in available nutrients thereby enhancing the

  species and biodiversity

• Untreated waste will make the environment unstable, possibly causing animals to become

  extinct, decreasing biodiversity

• Changes in the nutrients available will not affect the biodiversity as the organisms will not

  be affected by the untreated waste

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Physical barriers can play a large role in the development of a new species, or speciation.

Glaciers, earthquakes, mudslides, and floods can impact a landscape and separate populations of the same species, causing them to evolve separately in a process called

speciation. How does speciation impact the biodiversity of an ecosystem?

• It increases biodiversity by increasing the number of species in an area

• It decreases the biodiversity by decreasing the amount of usable space

• Biodiversity remains unchanged since the original species has gone extinct

• Biodiversity remains unchanged because the number of individuals remains the same

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Based on the figure, what happens to biological diversity as the rate of habitat fragmentation

increases and how would you describe this rate over time?

• As fragmentation increases the number of species increases

• As fragmentation increases the number of species decreases

• As fragmentation decreases the number of species stays the same

• As fragmentation decreases the number of species decreases and then increases

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Extinction is a naturally occurring process where organisms that can no longer compete die off.

An extinction can have different impacts depending on the organism and the health of that

ecosystem. Based on the graph what role does biodiversity play in how much an extinction

could impact an ecosystem?

• . If there is low biodiversity extinction would have no impact on an ecosystem

• If there is high biodiversity extinction could have a smaller impact on an ecosystem

• If there is low biodiversity extinction could have a smaller impact on an ecosystem

• If there is high biodiversity extinction would have the greatest impact on an ecosystem

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Scientific theories can change when new information is presented. Lamarck first proposed the

theory of evolution and suggested species could change in response to their environment. How

did Darwin’s theory of evolution become more widely accepted in the scientific community?

• Darwin published his ideas while Lamark did not

• Darwin’s proposed a testable hypothesis while Lamark did not

• Darwin challenged previous scientific thought of his day to support his theory while

  Lamark did not

• Darwin made many diverse observations and had evidence to support his theory while

  Lamark did not

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According to the theory of natural selection, why is producing a large number of offspring

essential?

• It guarantees that enough individuals will survive to become adults and reproduce

• It minimizes genetic variation by increasing the number of individuals that are genetically

  identical

• It provides the offspring protection from predators because predators never attack a large

  group of offspring

• It helps to strengthen the population by ensuring that only the best competitors survive

  long enough to reproduce

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Which of the following explains what environmental and physical characteristics of the finch s

led Darwin to develop his theory?

• Darwin concluded that the beaks were different because the finches were not related species

  on the different islands.

• Darwin concluded that the beaks were different because they are attracting various predators

  that will eat them for energy.

• Darwin concluded that the beaks were different because they are acquired traits that developed based on the food source.

• Darwin concluded that the beaks were different because the food source allowed for

  survival of the trait that was best and passed on.

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Sexual dimorphism is when males and females of the same species have drastically different

colors, sizes or looks. This is commonly seen in birds as shown in the picture. The male is

brightly colored red and the female is a much more reserved brown. These differences in color

are not camouflage and in some cases may put the individual at risk. Which process could

explain why a potentially negative trait can be passed to future generations?

• Natural Selection

• Non-Random Mating

• The Bottleneck Effect

• Competition for Resources

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