Principles of Ecology (BIOL 330) Summer 2019 – Brodsky

Week 2 Assignment: Adaptations & Natural Selection

20 points – 5 questions, 4 points each
Instructions
Please fill in the answers with red font. Use your notes and chapter materials to answer the following
questions. Save this document as a Word (.doc) or PDF file (.pdf) and upload to Canvas by the due date.

Name:

1. Chapter 5: Watch the following two YouTube videos on Darwin’s finches (Short Summary;
HHMI Video). Explain the evolution of beak size in Darwin's finches by using the following
terms: adaptive radiation, phenotype, natural selection, mutation, gene flow, migration, and
disruptive selection.
a. In 1831, Darwin boarded HMS beagle for surveying voyage to south America. When the
beagle arrived at the Galapagos islands near Ecuador, Darwin found a species of bird
called finches. Darwin found finches with different phenotypes on all different islands of
Galapagos. An adaptive radiation is a process in which organisms diversify rapidly from
ancestral species and form different new form. Darwin’s Finches is an ideal example of
such an adaptive radiation as they originated from a single mainland species, that had
migrated to the Galapagos islands. There they had to face different challenges like
drought, rains, etc. Which affected their habitat and the food that they depend on. So,
their beaks underwent adaptive changes to keep up to the changing resources. Now
according to the adverse environmental factors, the finches had to adapt accordingly.
The ones that survived the adversities were found to have beaks that could manage to
get food sources in the adverse situations as they had a beak size greater than the ones
that couldn’t survive it. It was then found that the next generation of these finches had
an increase in beak size, hence forth this phenomenon suggested that nature had
automatically favored the greater beaked finches, and this is what we call natural
selection. The part where disruptive selection occurs is where the species is getting
separated. This type of selection was strong between two extremes, either small one or
a larger one. All the other intermediates did not survive much during environmental
changes. Gene flow is an important mechanism for transferring genetic diversity among
population of finches. There was occasional hybridization (intermixing) between two
different finch species and new beak shape was observed (intermediate form). In
particular, the beak of the common cactus finch became blunter and more similar to the
beak of the medium ground finch. The scientist has found evidence of a substantial gene
flow, in particular from medium ground finch to the common cactus finch. This results in
different convergent beak shapes as well. The ultimate source of all genetic variation is
mutation. Mutation is important as it is the first step of evolution of any kind. Many
changes that lead to the speciation and natural selection were ultimately favored by
mutation in the DNA. Without mutation, none of these changed characteristics of the
beak would have been possible.
Principles of Ecology (BIOL 330) Summer 2019 – Brodsky

2. Chapter 6: In the online textbook’s “Study Area”, navigate to Chapter 6. Watch BioFlix “Water
Transport in Plants”. Describe how water goes from the soil to the atmosphere. Use the
following terms in your answer: cohesion, adhesion, surface area, cell wall, cytoplasm, xylem,
stoma, evaporation, transpiration, vein, and leaf.
a. Water is an essential abiotic component in plants and trees which play a major role in
growth, food production, reproduction, etc. Leaf exchanges CO2 (for photosynthesis)
and water through a small opening in the cell mesophyll cell called stomata. When CO2
diffuses in the cell and water diffuses out of the cell through this small opening, the
water lost through the stomata is called transpiration.
Water is transported through transpiration-adhesion-tension-cohesion mechanism. The
water absorbed and transported through plants is moved by negative pressure
generated by the evaporation of water from the leaves (i.e., transpiration) and this
process is termed as cohesion-tension mechanism. Roots are covered by root hairs that
helps in increasing the absorptive surface area and thus improving contact between
roots and the soil. Water forms a film on cell including the walls of cells and leaf veins.
Within the veins are hollow tube-like cells, these cells are a part of a tissue called xylem,
from which water and mineral are transported from roots. Tension generated by the
evaporation of water molecules during leaf transpiration helps in transmitting the water
molecules through continuous cohesive water columns of the xylem and then from
veins into the walls of other leaf cells. First of all, plant Cell walls of roots allows water
and minerals to move into the cell cytoplasm under normal conditions and activates the
cell’s central vacuole to put pressure against the cell wall (turgor pressure). Another way
Water molecules and minerals can travel is through cell wall. So, after travelling from
soil to roots into the cell cytoplasm or cell wall, water molecules finally reach xylem
where it is pulled up by the tension as discussed above, created by transpiration. This is
cycle continues and water reaches to all parts of the plant.

3. Chapter 6: Go to page 105 in the textbook, question 2 under “Interpreting Ecological Data”. The
species are represented by their numbers on the x-axis. We’ll focus on just two species: (1)
Populus tremuloides and (6) Pinus glauca. Answer the following questions:
a. Define “light compensation point.”
i. When rate of CO2 uptake in photosynthesis is equal to the rate of CO2 loss in
respiration and the rate of net photosynthesis becomes zero. The light level at
which this occurs is called light compensation point.
b. Using the figures on page 105 in the textbook, describe how the light compensation
point would differ for the two species.
i. The light compensation point for those two species would vary greatly. P.
tremuloides has a high maximum net photosynthesis and respiration, whereas P.
glauca has lower maximum net photosynthesis and respiration. Therefore, P.
tremuloides will have high light compensation compared to P. glauca. This is all
because P. tremuloides is a shade intolerant and P. glauca is shade tolerant
which takes less sunlight.
c. Identify the shade tolerance for quaking aspen (P. tremuloides) and white spruce (P.
glauca).
Principles of Ecology (BIOL 330) Summer 2019 – Brodsky

i. P. tremuloides is shade intolerant and P. glauca is shade tolerant.

d. The figure below identifies four forest strata (layers). Where would you expect to find
quaking aspen? White spruce? Why?
i. I would expect quaking aspen to be between understory and canopy, and white
aspen to be understory.

4. Chapter 6: Plants exhibit acclimation and developmental plasticity in response to changes in

water availability. Fill in the following table to identify differences between C 3, CAM, and C4
plants:

C3 Plants C4 Plants CAM Plants

In which cells does Mesophyll cells Both Mesophyll cell
photosynthesis
occur? (Mesophyll
cells, Bundle sheath
cells, or Both)
How are steps for In C3 plant both C4 plants separate CO2 In CAM carbon
carbon fixation and occurs together fixation and calvin cycle into fixation and calvin
Calvin Cycle in mesophyll different cells. Carbon cycle occurs
separated? cells during same fixation occurs in mesophyll separately in
(Location OR Time OR time. and calvin cycle occurs in mesophyll cells.
Not Separated) bundle sheath. Both occur Carbon fixation occurs
during same time. during night and
calvin cycle during
day.
Stoma open during Day Day Night
Principles of Ecology (BIOL 330) Summer 2019 – Brodsky

the… (Day/Night)?
What is the adaptive PEP does not react with Plants have adapted
advantage as oxygen, as does RuBP. physiologically and
compared to C3 Conversion of malic and morphologically
plants? aspartic acid into CO2. because they grow in
Overall the rate of drought conditions.
photosynthesis is higher in For example: Xeric
c4 plants than in c3 plants. condition (low
stomata), open
stomata at night
(lower rate of
photosynthesis).
What are the typical Cool and wet. Tropical conditions (hot and Desert.
environments of sunny).
these species?
Give example of the Rice, wheat, Corn, sugarcane, millets, Cacti, and pineapples.
types of plants that soybean, etc. etc.
categorize each.

5. Chapter 7: Answer the following short questions about the physiology of different animals:
a. The elephant and mouse’s volumes (V), surface area (SA), and weights are illustrated
below. See figures 7.19 and 7.21 to help you answer these questions:
i. Calculate the SA:V for the elephant:
1. 360,000 m2: 180,000 m3.
ii. Calculate the SA:V for the mouse:
1. 6 m2: 1 m3
iii. Knowing each species SA:V, which species would need more oxygen? Why?
1. Elephant will need more oxygen because the rate of respiration for
homeothermic animals is proportional to their body mass. Body mass of
elephant is more so it will need more oxygen.
iv. Which would have a greater mass-specific metabolic rate (O2/kg/hr)? Why?
1. Mouse will have greater mass-specific metabolic rate because mass-
specific metabolic rate increases with decreasing body mass. The smaller
the organism, the larger the SA:V ratio, therefore, the greater the relative
heat loss to surrounding environment. To maintain a constant body
temperature, the heat loss must be offset by increased metabolic activity.
v. Knowing these trends, which animal needs to eat more? Justify your answers.
1. Mouse needs to eat more because as discussed earlier the smaller the
organism, the larger the SA:V ratio, therefore, the greater the relative
heat loss to surrounding environment. To maintain a constant body
temperature, the heat loss must be offset by increased metabolic activity.
Thus, small animals have a higher mass-specific metabolic rate and
consume more food energy per unit of body weight than do large ones.
Principles of Ecology (BIOL 330) Summer 2019 – Brodsky

b. Some people incorrectly call amphibians and reptiles “cold blooded” animals and
mammals and birds “warm blooded”. More appropriate terms for these species would
be ectothermic (amphibians and reptiles) and endothermic (mammals and birds).
i. Define ectothermy and endothermy.
1. Ectothermy: Depends mainly on external heat sources, and their body
temperature changes with the temperature of the environment.
Endotherms: Use internally generated heat to maintain body
temperature. Their body temperature tends to stay steady regarless of
environment.
ii. Why would “cold blooded” and “warm blooded” be an incorrect way to refer to
these animals? For help, see Figure 7.16 for an example of body temperature for
an ectothermic species.
1. It would be wrong to say that because cold blooded animals have a
higher body core temperature than mammals. Some mammals and birds
allow body core temperature to decline to near freezing that is during
hibernation. Best example to use is given in textbook of black rat snake
(reptiles), whose average day body temperature varies with different
microhabitat and therefore it is best to call ectothermic and not cold-
blooded. Their mean body core temperature could rise up to around 50
degree Celsius during time of a day.

c. Describe the difference between torpor and hibernation. What are the adaptive
advantage of each?
i. Torpor is dropping of body temperature to approx. ambient temperature for a
part of each day, regardless of season.
When an organism wants to escape rigors of long, cold winters, they go into
long, seasonal torpor called hibernation. Hibernation is characterized by
cessation of activity and controlled hypothermia.
Principles of Ecology (BIOL 330) Summer 2019 – Brodsky

Advantages:
In torpor, it is the way to reduce energy demands over that part of the day when
the animal is inactive, allowing them to save the energy that would otherwise be
used to maintain a normal body temperature.
In hibernation, homeothermic is relaxed, and the body temperature is allowed to
approach ambient temperature. Heart rate, respiration, and total metabolism
fall, and body temperature sinks below 10 degree Celsius. The state of acidosis
lowers the threshold for shivering and reduces the metabolic rate.