Solo Brainstorm

1. Biodiversity, Conservation and Domestication—why the most important thing in history is where the tree line is at

2. Solo Brainstorm

3. Preview 1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view. • Species diversity—the typical view • DNA diversity—a simple view and complications • Cellular level diversity • Communities and Ecosystems 1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view. • Species diversity—the typical view • DNA diversity—a simple view and complications • Cellular level diversity • Communities and Ecosystems 2. What is Conservation (and how does it affect biodiversity)? • The view from the North [back to brainstorm] • The view from the South 3. What is Domestication? • Where forest and grassland meet. • The Guinea Pig’s view FLT=Future Lecture Topic

4. Population and Species Diversity • Typical measures of diversity—abundance or richness—use species. • Are species or populations fundamental or “real” entities? • Empirical evidence: • Ethonobotanical/ethnozoological studies agree with “Western” systematics • DNA/protein systematics often disagrees with morphology-based systematics • Can organisms be divided or parsed into groups? • Does empirical ability to parse organisms into groups just represent underlying ways in which DNA is structured and isolated… By other DNA arrangement/transmission mechanisms? reproductively? (more on this coming) FLT

5. What really “causes” biodiversity?— The hierarchy of living systems The early “molecular age” view: DNA point mutations cause… cellular/organismal changes which… spread through populations and… via species/community interactions… are acted upon by natural selection FLT

6. The Classic Example—Sickle Cell Anemia Washington University Sickle Cell Webpage IS IT TOO SIMPLE? Natural Selection DNA point mutation Cell/Organism effects Heredity/Spread through population Species/Community interactions

7. Other DNA diversity mechanisms • DNA is parsed and arranged • Gene repetition • Control regions • Selfish DNA • Silent regions • Chromosomal inversions, polyploidy, etc. • Horizontal (non-hereditary) transmission/movement • PLASMIDS!!! • transposons FLT

8. Classic Example: Barbara McClintock’s “Jumping Genes” • Each Kernel of corn is genetically distinct individual whose color is genetically determined • As individual (kernel of corn) develops, the gene control for color can change. • Purple colored splotches due to inserted DNA sequences that can be visualized on chromosomes • Transposons or “Jumping Genes”—Nobel Prize!!

9. Cellular Biodiversity • How to classify single-celled groups? • What are fundamental evolutionary shifts? • Archaea-Prokaryotes • Prokaryotes-Eukaryote • How do new cell types evolve in multi-cellular groups (e.g. nerve and muscle cells in animals) FLT

10. Community Biodiversity—beyond species level • Human concepts with no fundamental underlying reality? • Communities • Ecosystems • Ecoregions • Biomes • “Hot Spots” • Habitat types • Most obvious “real” boundaries • Water’s edge (aquatic-terrestrial) • Forest edge (grassland/farm-forest)— more in a minute • Recent focus for conservation efforts FLT

11. Conservation and Biodiversity 1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view. • Species diversity—the typical view • DNA diversity—a simple view and complications • Cellular level diversity • Communities and Ecosystems 2. What is Conservation (and how does it affect biodiversity)? • The view from the North [back to brainstorm] • The view from the South 3. What is Domestication? • Where forest and grassland meet. • The Guinea Pig’s view

12. Solo Brainstorm

13. Partner Brainstorm (in groups of twos or threes) • Biodiversity • Conservation • Domesticated Species Now, working with one or two partners, write a simple sentence or phrase that relates the three terms.

14. Conservation—The view from the North • RESULT: Natural areas and their diversity are to be conserved, apart, for some intrinsic value they hold. • The human element, including domesticated species, are perils—e.g., Galapagos Island introductions • Culturally rooted (bound?) idea • Western notion of human place in nature • Renaissance and subsequent Industrial Revolution • Tourism and U.S. National Park System

15. Goats threat to turtles in Galapagos

16. Conservation—the view from the South • Same brainstorm in Ecuador: “Biodiversity should be conserved for possibility of future domestications.” • Cultural roots (bounds) do not always apply—conservation is Northern/”Western” import. • Human survival and well-being are more clearly seen to depend on agriculture • Many western dichotomies do not apply • Wild/Domesticated • Urban/Rural • Work/Recreation • Public/Private How to reconcile North/South views? FLT

17. Bring domestication back into biology 1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view. • Species diversity—the typical view • DNA diversity—a simple view and complications • Cellular level diversity • Communities and Ecosystems 2. What is Conservation (and how does it affect biodiversity)? • The view from the North [back to brainstorm] • The view from the South 3. What is Domestication? • Where forest and grassland meet. • The Guinea Pig’s view

18. “It makes just as much sense to think of agriculture as something the grasses did to people as a way to conquer the trees.” --Michael Pollan, The Botany of Desire Has anything mattered more than the tree line?

19. The Alpine Tree Line—the rare case becomes the classic example • Fits Northern Ecology/Environment ideal as “wild” area • Easy to see • Climactically and geographically determined • In temperate latitudes, humans live in lowlands

20. Agricultural and Tropical Forest Frontiers • In Tropics and Temperate Lowlands, tree lines more common where humans live • Humans, using mainly fire, took control of tree-line at initiation of agriculture with domestication of crop and grazing species • What is future of domestication? FLT

21. Domestication (or Human co-Evolution) Today • Early agricultural domestication was with species that • Behave well with humans • Make their reproductive processes obvious to humans • But what are domestications of last 100 years • Laboratory domestications • Species that can survive indoors • Species that make some aspect of their biology—usually at cellular/developmental/molecular level—easily accessible to humans FLT

22. Example 1: E. coli WHY HUMANS “LIKE” E. coli • Adaptable and reproduces under wide variety of lab conditions • Easy visualization • Genes and proteins easily accessible • Endonucleases and other DNA manipulation genes/proteins known and isolated WHY E. coli “LIKES” HUMANS • Provide new and safe environments for reproduction • Make new genetic material accessible • Virulent strains with easy human access “Unintended” consequence of E. coli domestication—virulent, anti-biotic resistant strains

23. Example 2: Guinea Pig—a triple domestication Livestock Lab animal Pet

24. Future of Biodiversity—bet on the guinea pigs 1. Biodiversity • Traditional approach is species level • Important to consider all levels LOOKING AHEAD: -Hierarchy of Living Systems -DNA diversity mechanisms -Cellular Diversity -Population and Species Concepts/Diversity -Community/Ecological Diversity 2. Conservation • Typically wildland/community conservation • But must fit in domestication process • Viewpoint of domesticate LOOKING AHEAD: -North/South views on conservation • Domestication • Driven by agriculture and tree-line dynamics historically • Recently laboratory and pet (urban) domestications LOOKING AHEAD: -Tree Line Dynamics -Domestication Today