Scientific Taxonomy and Earth’s Biodiversity Paper

4. Assignment: Scientific Taxonomy and Earth’s Biodiversity Paper

• Due Date: Day 7 (post to your Assignments section of eCampus)
• Resources: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Web site 
• Go to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Web site at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html 
• Review the information under the topics Mammals, Insects, Birds, and Echinoderms. 
• Select two mammals, two insects, two birds, and two echinoderms to research. 
• Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that addresses the following points: 

o List and briefly describe the eight species you have selected. 
o What are the characteristics that classify all the species you have selected in the kingdom Animalia? 

o Mammals: 
- What are two or three characteristics shared by the two mammals you selected?
- What are two or three differences between the two mammals?
- To what order does each of the mammal species you selected belong? Describe why they are classified under that order.
- List two other species that belong to those same orders.

o Insects: 

- What are two or three characteristics shared by the two insects you selected? 
- What are two or three differences between the two insects? 
- To what order does each of the insect species you selected belong? Describe why they are classified under that order. 
- List two other species that belong to those same orders. 

o Birds: 

- What are two or three characteristics shared by the two birds you selected? 
- What are two or three differences between the two birds? 
- To what order does each of the bird species you selected belong? Describe why they are classified under that order. 
- List two other species that belong to those same orders. 

o Echinoderms 

- What are two or three characteristics shared by the two echinoderms you selected? 
- What are two or three differences between the two echinoderms? 
- To what order does each of the echinoderm species you selected belong? Describe why they are classified under that order. 
- List two other species that belong to those same orders. 

• Format your paper, in-text citations, and references according to APA standards. 
• Post your paper as a Microsoft® Word attachment.

Axia College Material
Appendix B
Supplemental Web sites
Week One
The Scientific Method (Ch. 1; Assignment)
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/Elegant_Experiments.html
Week Two
Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes (Ch. 4; DQ 2)
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/pev/main.html 
Plant and Animal Cells’ Structures and Functions (Ch. 4; CheckPoint)
http://www.cytochemistry.net/Cell-biology/ 

http://bio.rutgers.edu/~gb101/lab1_cell_structure/section8_frames.html 
Week Three
Mitosis and Meiosis (Ch. 5; CheckPoint)
http://bio.rutgers.edu/~gb101/lab10_meiosis/meiosis_web/index10.html 

http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/cell_cycle/cells3.html
Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration (Ch. 10 and pp. 422-436; Assignment)
http://people.ku.edu/~jbrown/chloroplast.html 

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/cellresp.htm 

Animation of the Electron Transport System (ETS): 
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~terry/images/anim/ETS.html
Week Four
DNA (Ch. 6; DQ 1)
Basics: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/tour/

Dolan DNA gene almanac: 
http://www.dnalc.org/home.html

Genes:
http://people.ku.edu/~jbrown/gene.html

Build a DNA molecule: 
http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/builddna/
Chromosomes (Ch. 5; DQ 2)
Human chromosomes with links to excellent graphics:
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG/human.html 

Human chromosomes and human genetic disorders:
http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/disorders/karyotype/

Role of genes in human health:
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/ghr/page/Home 

Gregor Mendel and Genetics (Ch. 3; CheckPoint)
Classical genetics:
http://anthro.palomar.edu/mendel/Default.htm


Week Five

Human Organ Systems (Ch. 12; Assignment)

http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html 

Digestive Tract Multimedia: 
http://corptrain.phoenix.edu/axia/sci241/sci241-digestivetract.html 


Week Six
Evolution (Ch. 2)
Hominid species (DQ 1, CheckPoint): 
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/species.html

Darwin's finches (DQ 2):
http://people.rit.edu/rhrsbi/GalapagosPages/DarwinFinch.html

Divergent & convergent evolution in birds 
(CheckPoint):
http://bioweb.cs.earlham.edu/9-12/evolution/HTML/converge.html

Examples of animals of convergent evolution (CheckPoint):
http://animals.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=animals&cdn=education&tm=23&gps=49_38_1416_856&f=00&su=p284.5.420.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/Evolution/convergent_evolution_examples.htm

Adaptive radiation (CheckPoint): http://higheredbcs.wiley.com/legacy/college/pruitt/0471473219/explorations/ch_02/exploration2_3c.html 

Evolution overview (All Week 4 assessments):
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/ 
Week Seven
Biodiversity (Ch. 9; Assignment)

http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt

http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/ 

The 25 richest and most threatened hotspots on the earth:
http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots 

The world atlas of biodiversity:
http://stort.unep-wcmc.org/imaps/gb2002/book/viewer.htm
Week Eight
Biotechnology (Ch. 7; DQ 1)
Advances in agricultural biotechnology:
http://www.whybiotech.com/

Genetic engineering controversies:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/campaigns/intro?campaign_id=3942

Genetic engineering: 
http://www.pmac.net/ge.htm

Human genome project: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml
Ecology (Ch. 15 & 16)
Biome/Habitat animal printouts (DQ 2): http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/

Population ecology (CheckPoint): http://www.ento.vt.edu/~sharov/PopEcol/lec1/whatis.html

World population clock (CheckPoint): http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

World in the balance (CheckPoint): http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/numbers.html

Most populous countries (CheckPoint): http://geography.about.com/cs/worldpopulation/a/mostpopulous.htm