Question

During the 18th century, many scholars became interested in biological diversity, human origins, and our position within the classification of plants and animals. Why do you think this interest arose at this time, at least in Europe? Think of historical events that led to the realization that the world is more diverse than previously thought?

Answer 1

Ans :

Biological diversity:

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, A larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms.

Types of biodiversity include :

Genetic Diversity.

Species Diversity.

Ecological Diversity.

It promotes at least one of the three objectives of the Convention: the conservation of bio-diversity, sustainable use of its components (ecosystems, species or genetic resources), or fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of the utilisation of genetic resources.

Classification and origin of humans :

  Human taxonomy is the classification of the human species within zoological taxonomy. The systematic genus, Homo, is designed to include both anatomically .

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Family : Homonidae

Sub family : Homoninae

Genus : Homo

Origin :

Is the evolutionary process that led to the emergence of anatomically modern humans, beginning with the evolutionary history of primates—in particular genus Homo—and leading to the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species of the hominid family, the great apes. This process involved the gradual development of traits such as human bipedalism and language,as well as interbreeding with other hominins, which indicate that human evolution was not linear but a web.

Order of origin in humans:

Nakalipithicus

Ouranopithecus

Oreopithecus

Sahelanthropus

Orrorin

Ardipithecus

Australopithecus

Homo habilis

Homo erectus

H. heidelbergensis

Homo sapeins

The genetic revolution in studies of human evolution started when Vincent Sarich and Allan Wilson measured the strength of immunological cross-reactions of blood serum albumin between pairs of creatures, including humans and African apes (chimpanzees and gorillas). The strength of the reaction could be expressed numerically as an immunological distance, which was in turn proportional to the number of amino acid differences between homologous proteins in different species. By constructing a calibration curve of the ID of species' pairs with known divergence times in the fossil record, the data could be used as a molecular clock to estimate the times of divergence of pairs with poorer or unknown fossil records.