The Diversity of Life Practice Flashcards

The Big Bang and Cosmic Evolution: * The origin of the universe is cited at approximately $13.7$ billion years ago. * The progression initiated with a Quantum Fluctuation followed by Inflation. * The timeline includes an Afterglow followed by a Dark Age. * The development of planets, galaxies, and light sources followed the initial expansion phases. * The process involved the transition of energy to matter, though the exact details remain somewhat speculative. * Current cosmic expansion is driven by Dark Energy, resulting in an accelerated expansion of the universe.
Pre-biotic Earth: * The conditions for pre-biotic Earth existed between $4.4$ and $3.8$ billion years ago ( $BYA$ ).

Key Milestones (approximate): * $4$ BYA: Early Earth environment. * $3$ BYA to $2$ BYA: Continued atmospheric and biological development. * $1$ BYA: Progressive diversification. * Cambrian Period: Occurred between $541$ and $485$ million years ago ( $MYA$ ). * Carboniferous Period: Occurred between $360$ and $300$ MYA. * $250$ MYA: Significant era for life development. * $0.1$ MYA: Arrival/modern age of specific groups.

The Three Domains of Life: * Classification is based upon molecular (DNA) evidence. * All life on Earth shares a common ancestor. * Archaea: Single-celled prokaryotes. * Bacteria: Single-celled prokaryotes. * Eukarya: Multi-celled or single-celled organisms with complex internal structures.
Etymology and Basic Characteristics: * Prokaryotes: Derived from the Greek Pro (meaning "before") and Karyote (meaning "kernel" or nucleus). * Eukaryotes: Derived from the Greek Eu (meaning "well") and Karyote (meaning "kernel" or nucleus).
Linnaean "Binomial" Classification: * System developed by Carl Linnaeus ( $1707-1788$ ). * The hierarchy of classification from broadest to most specific is: 1. Domain: (e.g., Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya) 2. Kingdom: (e.g., Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, and Protists) 3. Phylum: (e.g., Chordata) 4. Class: (e.g., Mammalia) 5. Order: (e.g., Carnivora) 6. Family: (e.g., Felidae) 7. Genus: (e.g., Panthera) 8. Species: (e.g., Panthera pardus)

Core Characteristics: * Single-celled organisms. * Prokaryotes – they lack a membrane-bound nucleus.
Significant Examples: * Pseudomonas: Known for its ability to form a 'biofilm'. * Cyanobacteria (Anabaena): Photosynthetic bacteria. * Wolbachia: An endosymbiotic bacterium.
Major Bacterial Groups: * Proteobacteria * Chlamydias * Spirochetes * Cyanobacteria * Gram-positive bacteria

Core Characteristics: * Prokaryotes (lack a nucleus). * Unicellular organisms.
Archeal Groups: * Euryarchaeotes * Thaumarchaeotes * Aigarchaeotes * Crenarchaeotes * Korarchaeotes
Extremophiles: Many Archaea live in extreme environments. * Thermophiles: Derived from Greek meaning "heat loving/friendly". They inhabit geothermal vents with temperatures up to $120^{\circ}C$ . * Halophiles: Derived from Greek meaning "salt loving/friendly". They inhabit hyper-saline environments. * Geographic Examples: * Lake Hillier (Western Australia): Known for high salinity. * Lake Bumbunga (South Australia): Known for high salinity. * Other Habitats: Archaea are also found in the human gut.

Core Characteristics: * Eukaryotes – cells contain a nucleus. * Can be single-celled or multi-celled organisms.
The Four Main Groups: * Kingdom Animalia * Kingdom Plantae * Kingdom Fungi * Protists (formerly Kingdom Protista)

Overall Estimation: Total diversity of life is estimated to be between $10$ and $100$ million species.
Presently Described Species in Eukarya: * Kingdom Animalia: $1,000,000$ species. * Kingdom Plantae: $290,000$ species. * Protists: $200,000$ species described (estimates for maximum species count reach up to $36,172,260$ ). * Kingdom Fungi: $100,000$ species. * Chordates (Vertebrates etc.): $57,000$ species.

General Definition: Largely unicellular eukaryotes that do not fit into the animal, plant, or fungal kingdoms.
Sub-Groups and Examples: * Unicellular Algae: Often categorized as "Plankton". * Slime Molds: Investigated for behaviors that challenge traditional concepts of intelligence. * Protozoans: * Plasmodium: (Cause of malaria) * Dinoflagellates * Amoeba

Biological Mode: Heterotrophs (obtain nutrients from organic matter).
Major Groups: * Mushrooms and their allies. * Bracket fungi. * True moulds.
Specific Examples: * Phlebopus marginatus * Psilocybin sp.: Involved in the modern "psychedelic renaissance". * Penicillium chrysogenum: Source of penicillin.

Primary Groups: * Angiosperms: Flowering plants. * Gymnosperms: Includes species like the Wollemi pine. * Ferns * Liverworts * Clubmoss
Early Forest Environments: * Occurred during the Devonian and Carboniferous periods ( $420 - 300$ MYA). * Dominated by seedless plants: * Lycophytes: Club mosses and relatives. * Ferns * Horsetails

Major Phylogenetic Groups: * Radiata: Including Porifera, Cnidaria, and Ctenophora. * Lophotrochozoa: Including Platyhelminthes, Rotifera, Ectoprocta, Brachiopoda, Mollusca, and Annelida. * Ecdysozoa: Including Nematoda, Arthropoda, Tardigrada, and Onychophora. * Deuterostomia: Including Echinodermata, Hemichordata, and Chordata.
Chordata Subgroups: * Tunicata * Cephalochordata * Vertebrates: Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals.

Described Species in Six Major Orders (approximate counts): * Coleoptera (Beetles): $30,000$ species. * Lepidoptera (Moths/Butterflies): $20,800$ species. * Hymenoptera (Bees/Wasps/Ants): $14,800$ species. * Diptera (Flies): $7,800$ species. * Hemiptera (True Bugs): $5,650$ species. * Orthoptera (Grasshoppers/Crickets): $2,850$ species. * Total named species for these 6 orders: $81,900$ .

Deceptive Strategies in Orchids: * Orchid Mantis: Historically thought to mimic an orchid to lure prey. * Flying Duck Orchid (Caleana major): A specialized plant with distinct floral morphology. * Hammer Orchid (Drakaea livida): Acts as a sexual deceiver by mimicking the female Thinnine wasp to attract male wasps for pollination.
Four-Party Symbiosis Example: * A complex interaction involving: 1. Eucalyptus leucoxylon (The host tree). 2. Amyema sp. (Mistletoe, a parasitic plant growing on the Eucalyptus). 3. Ogyris genoveva (The Genoveva Azure butterfly, which utilizes the mistletoe). 4. Camponotus sp. (Sugar ants, which have a symbiotic relationship with the butterfly larvae).