Speciation Game

Mating Rituals: Pre-mating Isolating Mechanisms Answer Choices: grasshopper mosquito Praying mantis Blue bird of paradise Questions: 1. The female will rip the head off her mate during reproduction, and sometimes she will eat it during reproduction. 2. A male has 400 mating songs in his repertoire, and each song has its own meaning towards the courtship. 3. The male hangs upside down from a tree branch, while rhythmically enlarging and contracting a colored patch on his chest. At the same time he swaying back and forth, arching his tail, and then calling to his mate softly in a low deep voice 4. Though the male’s wings typically produce a sound with a frequency of 600 hertz, and the female’s wings a 400 hertz song, each mating individual will adjust his or her sound so as to meet in the middle. The resulting harmonic frequency is at 1200 hertz.

Mating Rituals - Answers 1. Praying Mantis The female will rip the head off her mate during reproduction, and sometimes she will eat it during the reproduction.  2. Grasshoppers A male has 400 mating songs in his repertoire, and each song has its own meaning towards the courtship. 3. Blue Bird of Paradise The male hangs upside down from a tree branch, while rhythmically enlarging and contracting a colored patch on his chest. At the same time he swaying back and forth, arching his tail, and then calling to his mate softly in a low deep voice 4. Mosquito Though the male’s wings typically produce a sound with a frequency of 600 hertz, and the female’s wings a 400 hertz song, each mating individual will adjust his or her sound so as to meet in the middle. The resulting harmonic frequency is at 1200 hertz.

Mating Rituals: Pre-mating Isolating Mechanisms Answer Choices: African elephant Adelie penguins bighorn sheep hippos Questions 1. Males fight to impress the ladies, running into each other head-first at high speed 2. The male will bring his mate a carefully chosen stone as a courtship gift to enforce their bond. 3. They attract mates by marking territory - urinating and defecating simultaneously. Then, the male twirls its tail like a propeller, spreading his feces all over the female. 4. Males conduct their courtship over a period of weeks, squirting females with water, bringing them food and generally proving how nice they are.  

Mating Rituals - Answers 1. Bighorn sheep Males fight to impress the ladies, running into each other head-first at high speed 2. Adelie Penguins the male will bring his mate a carefully chosen stone as a courtship gift to enforce their bond. 3. Hippos They attract mates by marking territory - urinating and defecating simultaneously. Then, the male twirls its tail like a propeller, spreading his feces all over the female. 4. African Elephants Males conduct their courtship over a period of weeks, squirting females with water, bringing them food and generally proving how nice they are.  

Hybrids: Post-mating Isolating Mechanism What two species created this hybrid? (2 pts) What is the name of the hybrid? (1 pt)

Lion & Tiger Liger/Tigon Ligers are crossbreeds between a male lions and female tigers, while Tigons are crossbreeds between a male tiger and a female lion. Ligers are the world’s largest cats. Tigons on the other hand, are prone towards dwarfism and are usually smaller than either of their parents. Male Ligers/Tigons are sterile while the females are often fertile.

Hybrids: Post-mating Isolating Mechanism What two species created this hybrid? (2 pts) Is this hybrid sterile? (1 pt)

Wolf & Dog Wolf Dog Dogs and wolves tend to crossbreed rather freely. The wolf is a shy animal depending on nuances in body language, facial expression and on hunting skills to survive. Their jaws are much stronger than those of a dog and are often used to exert dominance. For a dog wolf hybrid, it is not known when it will display a wolf behavior or dog behavior or something in between. Obedience training is a must in order to tame the animal.

Hybrids: Post-mating Isolating Mechanism What three different species of animal were crossed with a zebra to make the following zebroids? (3 pts)

Horse, Donkey, and Pony Zebroids A zorse is the result of crossbreeding a horse and a zebra. A zonkey is the result of crossbreeding a donkey with a zebra. The Zony is the result of crossbreeding a pony to a zebra. All these three are called zebroids. Zebroids are preferred over zebra for practical uses such as riding because of its body shape. However it is more inclined to be temperamental and can prove to be difficult to handle.

Hybrids: Post-mating Isolating Mechanism What two species created this hybrid? (2 pts) What is the name of the hybrid? (1 pt)

Camel & Llama Cama A Cama is a hybrid between a camel and a llama. They are born via artificial insemination due to the huge difference in sizes of the animals which disallow natural breeding. A Cama usually has the short ears and long tails of a camel but the cloven hooves of a llama. Also most noticeably is the absence of the hump.

Hybrids: Post-mating Isolating Mechanism What two species created this hybrid? (2 pts) What is the name of the hybrid? (1 pt)

Grizzly & Polar Bear Grolar, Pizzly A grolar/pizzly hybrid is the product of a grizzly bear and a polar bear. Although the two bears are genetically similar, they tend to avoid each other in the wild. During 16 April 2006, a hybrid bear was shot dead in Canada. It was the first time a hybrid was found in the wild where previous records of grolars or pizzlies have only been found in zoos.

Hybrids: Post-mating Isolating Mechanism What two species created this hybrid? (2 pts) What is the name of the hybrid? (1 pt)

Leopard & Lion Leopon The result of breeding a male leopard and a female lion. The head of the animal is similar to that of a lion while the rest of the body carries similarities to leopards.

Hybrids: Post-mating Isolating Mechanism What two species created this hybrid? (2 pts) What is the name of the hybrid? (1 pt)

Dolphin & False Killer Whale Wolphin A rare hybrid formed from a cross between a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale. There are currently only two in captivity. A wolphin’s size, colour and shape are intermediate between the parent species.

Hybrids: Post-mating Isolating Mechanism What two species created this hybrid? (2 pts) What is the name of the hybrid? (1 pt)

American bison & domestic cattle Beefalo are a fertile hybrid of domestic cattle and American bison (buffalo). The breed was created to combine the characteristics of both animals with a view towards beef production.

Speciation in Action? In the summer of 1995, at least 15 iguanas survived Hurricane Marilyn on a raft of uprooted trees. They rode the high seas for a month before colonizing the Caribbean island, Anguilla. These few individuals are the first of their species, Iguana iguana, to reach the island. Questions: 1. What step towards speciation have we already witnessed with this population of iguanas? 2. Since only a small population of iguanas inhabited Anguilla, what “effect” might contribute to speciation? 3. What step could happen next?

Speciation in Action? - Answers Questions: 1. What step towards speciation have we already witnessed with this population of iguanas? SEPARATION 2. Since only a small population of iguanas inhabited Anguilla, what “effect” might contribute to speciation? FOUNDERS EFFECT What step could happen next? ADAPTATION / NATURAL SELECTION