By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Name and describe the distinguishing features of the three main groups of mammals
Describe the likely line of evolutionary descent that produced mammals
List some derived features that may have arisen in response to mammals’ need for constant, high-level metabolism
Identify the major clades of eutherian mammals

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe the main characteristics of amniotes
Explain the difference between anapsids, synapsids, and diapsids, and give an example of each
Identify the characteristics of reptiles
Discuss the evolution of reptiles

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe the derived features that distinguish primates from other animals
Describe the defining features of the major groups of primates
Identify the major hominin precursors to modern humans
Explain why scientists are having difficulty determining the true lines of descent in hominids

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe prions and their basic properties
Define viroids and their targets of infection

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Identify major viral illnesses that affect humans
Compare vaccinations and anti-viral drugs as medical approaches to viruses

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe how viruses were first discovered and how they are detected
Discuss three hypotheses about how viruses evolved
Describe the general structure of a virus
Recognize the basic shapes of viruses
Understand past and emerging classification systems for viruses
Describe the basis for the Baltimore classification system

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

List the steps of replication and explain what occurs at each step
Describe the lytic and lysogenic cycles of virus replication
Explain the transmission of plant and animal viruses
Discuss some of the diseases caused by plant and animal viruses
Discuss the economic impact of plant and animal viruses

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Identify new technologies and methods for describing biodiversity
Explain the legislative framework for conservation
Describe principles and challenges of conservation preserve design
Identify examples of the effects of habitat restoration
Discuss the role of zoos in biodiversity conservation

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Define biodiversity in terms of species diversity and abundance
Describe biodiversity as the equilibrium of naturally fluctuating rates of extinction and speciation
Identify historical causes of high extinction rates in Earth’s history

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Identify chemical diversity benefits to humans
Identify biodiversity components that support human agriculture
Describe ecosystem services

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Identify significant threats to biodiversity
Explain the effects of habitat loss, the introduction of exotic species, and hunting on biodiversity
Identify the early and predicted effects of climate change on biodiversity

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe the effects of abiotic factors on the composition of plant and animal communities in aquatic biomes
Compare and contrast the characteristics of the ocean zones
Summarize the characteristics of standing water and flowing water freshwater biomes

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Define biogeography
List and describe abiotic factors that affect the global distribution of plant and animal species
Compare the impact of abiotic forces on aquatic and terrestrial environments
Summarize the effects of abiotic factors on net primary productivity

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Define global climate change
Summarize the effects of the Industrial Revolution on global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration
Describe three natural factors affecting long-term global climate
List two or more greenhouse gases and describe their role in the greenhouse effect

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Identify the two major abiotic factors that determine terrestrial biomes
Recognize distinguishing characteristics of each of the eight major terrestrial biomes