BREED BASICS
What is a breed?
A group of animals with common ancestors and distinguishing characteristics.
What is domestication?
Bringing wild animals under human control over a long period of time to provide useful products and services.
What is a dichotomous key used for?
To classify or sort groups of things.
What is taxonomy?
The science of naming and classifying organisms.
What is a breed in relation to a species?
A subgroup of a species.
What is a genus?
A group of closely related species.
How are breeds developed?
Through selective breeding—selecting animals for specific traits over several generations.
Name two reasons humans domesticate species.
More stable food/clothing supply; specialization; less nomadic cultures/greater population density; or selective breeding.
What kind of choices does a dichotomous key offer?
Choices in pairs—one true and one false.
Who developed the first system of classifying living things mentioned in the presentation?
Aristotle.
What are phyla based on?
Similarities in basic structure or organization.
What are the three criteria listed for a genus?
Descendants are grouped together; it is a compact group; and it has distinct features within the group.
Why are breeds developed?
For specific purposes and more efficient production.
What are the six characteristics of domesticated animals?
Diet, growth rate, ability to breed in captivity, disposition, temperament, and social hierarchy.
When using a dichotomous key, what should you do if your choice leads to another number or letter?
Go to that place in the key and choose between the next two options.
Who developed the modern method of classification in the 1700s?
Carolus Linnaeus.
Name three examples of phyla in Kingdom Animalia given in the presentation.
Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Chordata.
How are animal and plant family names distinguished by their endings?
Animal families end in “-idae”; plant families end in “-aceae.”
Give one example of how animal breeds may be developed for different production goals.
Milk quantity vs. milk quality; speed vs. stock horses; or wool sheep vs. meat sheep.
What characteristic means an animal should be calm, moderately predictable, and not overly aggressive?
Disposition.
What are the first two steps in making a dichotomous key?
Observe the group of objects, then list the most general traits that could divide them into categories.
What is the highest category in the Linnaean system?
Kingdom.
What are animals in Phylum Chordata characterized by?
A backbone and skeleton, a closed circulatory system with a pumping heart, and direct development of young.
In binomial nomenclature, which name comes first and how is it written?
The genus comes first and is capitalized; both genus and species are italicized.
Besides use or purpose, name two anatomy-based ways animals can be classified.
Body covering, coloring/markings, or size.
What is the difference between a domesticated animal and a tame animal?
Domestication applies to an entire species meeting all six characteristics; tameness applies to one or a few individuals whose offspring still possess wild traits.
According to the presentation, how many steps should a dichotomous key contain compared with the total number of objects?
One less step than the total number of objects to be identified.
What is a species?
The basic unit of taxonomic rank; the largest natural population that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Within a phylum, animals are organized into classes according to what kinds of traits?
Traits such as body covering, reproductive system, and temperature regulation.
In Canis lupus, identify the genus and species.
Canis is the genus; lupus is the species.