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Classification, phylogeny and biodiversity

Biodiversity, evolution and ecology · Lesson 1 of 4

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Lesson 1 of 4 · Biodiversity, evolution and ecology

Classification, phylogeny and biodiversity

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By the end you’ll be able to

define biodiversity and explain how it can be considered at genetic, species and ecosystem levels
describe and apply the hierarchical classification system, including domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species, and distinguish between the binomial naming system and broader taxonomic ranks

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explain the biological species concept and discuss limitations of classification based only on morphology, including the use of courtship behaviour, anatomy, physiology, biochemical similarities and DNA or RNA sequence data

interpret phylogenetic trees and cladograms to infer evolutionary relationships, common ancestry and relative relatedness between taxa

explain how advances in molecular biology and genome sequencing have led to changes in classification and improved understanding of phylogeny

calculate, use and compare measures of biodiversity, including species richness and index of diversity, and interpret what values suggest about habitat stability or environmental change

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