SECTION 2

BIODIVERSITY through time

● Events of diversification & extinction
● Studied through
○ Fossil records = millions of years ago
○ Molecular data = expression of genes, phylogeny (common ancestors, different structures)
Fossil Records
● Limitations:
○ The number of species leaving a fossil record is only 1% or lesser, of the actual population
○ Only a tiny fraction has been discovered
○ Biased towards organisms that are more abundant organisms on a particular period
Molecular Data
● More primitive (simple) or modern (complex
● Constantly changing
Phylogenetic Tree of Life
● A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities
based upon similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics

●
● Precambrian era: There is an increase in biodiversity when multicellular organisms were more
abundant because they were able to adapt to their environment and pass on the genetics to their
offspring to survive, which is why they kept diversifying
● Most fossils were found to be from the Cambrian era

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○Hox gene = example of a homeotic gene*, regulates and dictates the genes in the anterior and
posterior region → resulting in differences in morphology → diversification
*regulator genes that direct the development of particular body segments or structures
during early embryonic development of organisms
The history of biodiversity is often presented as one of radiations and stabilizations, punctuated by mass
extinctions (Signor 1990; Sepkoski 1992)

●
○ There are certain changes in the Cambrian era, ex. climate, that affects the diversification of
organisms
■ Pattern of increase in biodiversity
● Unknown but are a result of many factors
○ Break-up of continents
○ Change in climate
● More spaces to evolve
○ Through time, there is more space for organisms to evolve -- ex.
Movement of aquatic species to terrestrial classify

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