Exam 4 - Biogeography

When the Suez Canal connected the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, which one of these seas had more biota affecting the other?

a. Red Sea

b. Mediterranean Sea

c. Neither. No biota crossed to the other

d. Neither. Many biota crossed both ways relatively equally

a. Red Sea

Which process is not one of the three fundamental processes in biogeography?

a. Evolution

b. Extinction

c. Mutation

d. Dispersal

c. Mutation

“Rafting” by lizards from Guadeloupe to Anguilla after a hurricane is an example of _____.

a. filter route

b. corridor

c. sweepstake route

d. secular migration

c. sweepstake route

Which type of barrier separates freshwater fish from marine species?

a. physiological barrier

b. psychological barrier

c. biotic barrier

d. behavioral barrier

a. physiological barrier

Which statement best describes the significance of Wallace’s Line?

a. It divides oceanic and continental islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

b. It marks a deep-water boundary between Asian and Australian species.

c. It follows the equator through Indonesia, separating the Neotropical and Ethiopian biota.

d. It separates marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Holarctic.

b. It marks a deep-water boundary between Asian and Australian species

A plant that produces viable seeds from unfertilized ovules is _____.

a. Parthenogenetic

b. Apomictic

c. Hermaphroditic

d. Dioecious

b. Apomictic

Which type of barrier separates some animals, such as the Panamanian forest bird, the ocellated antbird, from potential habitats?
a. Physiological barrier

b. Psychological barrier

c. Biotic barrier

d. Behavioral barrier

b. Psychological barrier

The Great American Interchange (between North and South America) likely occurred across which type of route?

a. Corridor

b. Filter

c. Sweepstakes

d. Secular

b. Filter

The Devil’s Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis), that we discussed in class, illustrates which concept?

a. Cosmopolitanism

b. Endemism

c. Disjunction

d. Provincialism

b. Endemism

Why did North-American mammals dominate in the Great American Biotic Interchange?

a. South-American climate favored northern species

b. North-American species had longer history of competition and adaptation

c. South American mammals were larger

d. North American mammals lacked predators

b. North-American species had longer history of competition and adaptation

Which of the following animals is foudn only east of Wallace’s Line?

a. Tigers

b. Rhinoceroses

c. Kangaroos

d. Gibbons

c. Kangaroos

The movement of organisms away from their point of origin

dispersal

Endemic group evolved in situ like the Hawaiian Honeycreepers

autochthonous

Gradual expansion = _______

diffusion

Taxon once part of a much more diverse taxonomic group, but is now the sole survivor like the New Zealand Tuatara

Taxonomic relict

Taxon that has recently become endemic

Neoendemic

Endemic group evolved ex situ and moved into new area like the New Zealand Tuatara

Allochthonous

Seasonal movements between two or more locations

migration

Name the term for a taxon that occurs in 2 or more widely separated areas

disjunct

Long-distance dispersal = ________

jump dispersal

A mechanism of dispersal representing passive dispersal as seen in seeds, spores, and cysts via wind or current dispersals

pagility

Name the term for when several taxa are endemic to the same area

provincial

Name the term for an island that has never been connected to a continent

oceanic

Taxon that has been endemic for a long time

Paleoendemic

A mechanism of dispersal representing active movement like the ability to fly, walk, or swim

Vagility

Spatial distribution of individuals within a population

Dispersion

Name the term for a taxon that occurs worldwide, or nearly so.

Cosmopolitan

Taxon that was once widespread and now only occurs in a relatively small area like Gingko biloba tree

Biogeographic relict

Europe, Asia, and North Africa

Palearctic