Alien Mouse vs. Predator...Adaptations

Adaptations are characteristics that anable an organism to survive and fit in its environment.  There are three kinds of adaptations:
    behavioural
    structural
    physiological


Animals, Plants, Fungi all have adaptations.  

We will do two demonstrations in this class  Observe vertebrate predator and prey adaptations.  There are differences between predator and prey skulls in with respect to their eyes and teeth and observed the adaptations of a hunting owl

In-Class Assignment: In your science journals, write today's date.
I.  Write a half page summary of our two demonstrations.  Conclude whether a human is predator or prey

II. Observe the specimens provided in class.  Write your observations in complete sentences and in pen. I will also accept a typed report.
1.  Draw the specimen carefully
2.  Write down the identification
3.  Examine the skull and describe the placement of the eyes.  Identify whether this is characteristic of predator or prey
4.  Examine the teeth or teeth holes of the specimen. Look for teeth that are characteristic of predator or prey
5.  Life History of specimen.  What is its a. habitat   b. normal diet   c. other special adaptations
6.  What parts of the anatomy observed here are similar to all the other animal specimens?  Name at least five similarities.  These similarities are "homologous traits", meaning they indicate that the animals share a common ancestry.

III.  Listen to this excerpt about an amur tiger   a predator adapted to a strange connection between the boreal forest and the tropics.  A documentary showing this huge tiger.  And meet ninja cat, evidence that even domestic felines have similar instincts.

Ecological Hierarchy and Ecosystems

Reading and practice questions: Section 1.2 of the Study Guide

Key Vocabulary words: Know these definitions:

Ecological  hierarchy
Ecosystem
Habitat
Community
Population
Species

Niche
Ecological interactions:
      competition
      predation
      symbiosis
Ecological health:
      Biodiversity

ECOLOGICAL HIERARCHY:
The living organisms on the earth can be organized in different groups, or divisions.  The biggest division is the biosphere itself, that thin layer of soil, water and air and all the life within it. The other divisions fit within that biosphere.   Like russian dolls, each division fits within another: For example
If we look at the biosphere as a group of living things, then the russian dolls are labeled like this:



Ecological Hierarchy of interaction

BIOSPHERE

biomes

ecosystems

communities

populations (made up of the same species).

organisms (of the same species)

If we look at the biosphere as a place, the russian dolls are labeled like this:

Hierarchy of a place called BIOSPHERE 

biomes

ecosystems

habitats

ECOSYSTEMS: 
We will focus on the Ecosystem,  a network of interacting organisms linking biotic factors and abiotic factors. It is a system in equilibrium.  It is dynamic, yet unchanging over a long period of time.

Ecosystems can be considered a group of living things who happen to be in the same place at the same time, like a group of friends hanging out together.  Yet, we can also consider ecosystems  a place.  For example, a forest ecosystem is both a group of organisms and a place.   Can you picture a forest as a group of trees, ferns, bushes, microbes, fungi...all interacting? Yet a forest is also geography:   We have a forest called Pacific Spirit Park, an ecosystem named Camosun bog, another one called Trout Lake.

And ecosystems are dynamic, ever changing. Over time, organisms move in, move out. They mate, and have offspring and die.  Yet ecosystems seem to stay the same:  a forest may have the same species inventory for over 300 years.


Examples of ecosystems (they are like minibiomes within the big biome!):
west coast rainforest, desert, bog, micro ecosystem within the human gut!

Biodiversity:is the number of different organisms within any ecosystem...the more the better!

What happens inside ecosystems  Here are a few of the interactions within that ecosystem:
1.  Competition: organisms may compete for the same resources such as food, mates, territory
2.  Predation: some organisms eat others: A game of tag with very high stakes.This affects their population dynamics. And their adaptations are exquisitely tuned to the task of hunting, killing, or running and escaping.
3.  Symbiosis: some organisms live closely with others as a host/symbiont pair:
      a. parasitism
      b. mutualism
      c. commensalism

Homework: Do the study guide questions for section 1.2 including the sample multiple choice questions. Note that some of these are tricky!

Your homework quiz for this section is here:
HOMEWORK QUIZ
 Note that I must wait for all responses to come in before marking them.

Welcome to Science 10

Introduction to our BIOSPHERE We explore the definitions and conditions of life itself.
Our key words to know are as follows. Know their definition, examples and be prepared to answer study guide questions on these words.

Biosphere
biomes
abiotic conditions
biotic conditions
five factors affecting the location of biomes
adaptations of organisms living in their habitat. there are three adaptations: behavioural, structural, physiological

examining a climatograph for data on abiotic conditions.
We use a thermometer to measure temperature and
This device to measure precipitation.

Try this homework quiz

Next topic: Ecological Heirarchy: We can study biology in ever increasing and decreasing units.  Life units can be very big...such as the whole planet, or really small, like a tiny microecosystem in soil, or the teeming microbiome of bacteria living inside us.