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07S
Student
Questions
How many species?
Q1
Read the key biological principles box on pages 144145 of your AS textbook and make
a note of what is meant by the term species.
Table 1 on page 2 gives data for the number of species described and the estimated totals in
some groups of organisms.
Q2 Use these data to answer the following questions:
a Which is the group with the largest proportion of the likely total number of species that
have been described to date?
b Can you suggest why this group has the largest proportion of species described?
c Which two groups have the lowest proportion of species described?
d Can you suggest why these groups are not being described as quickly as other groups?
Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Pearson Education Ltd 2008. University of York Science Education Group.
This sheet may have been altered from the original.
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A4.07S
Student
Group
Bacteria
Protoctista
Animalia
Vertebrates total
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fishes
Number of species
described
4000
80 000
52 000
4630
9946
7400
4950
25 000
963 000
Insects and myriapods
75 000
Arachnids
70 000
Molluscs
40 000
Crustaceans
25 000
Nematodes
Fungi
72 000
Plantae
270 000
Total in the five kingdoms
1 750 000
Source: Data from UNEP-WCMC; n/a data not available
Estimated total
1 000 000
600 000
55 000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
8 000 000
750 000
200 000
150 000
400 000
1 500 000
320 000
14 000 000
Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Pearson Education Ltd 2008. University of York Science Education Group.
This sheet may have been altered from the original.
2 of 2