You Are an Ornithologist in the Twenty-Second Century Studying a Tropical

question 16

Essay

You are an ornithologist in the twenty-second century studying a tropical bird species that has expanded its range from its original location in Central America to where it currently exists on either side of the Rocky Mountains in North America. This range expansion is a result of a warming climate dating back to the late twentieth century. As you conduct population censuses, you realize there are phenotypic differences between populations located on the eastern and western sides of the range. You hypothesize the species has become a "ring species" as a result of the geographic isolation established by the mountains. If it was truly a ring species, what would you expect to see when you analyze the DNA of the populations and compare them to one another?

Grasp the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift, including evidence and impacts.

Comprehend the relationship between volcanic activities, atmospheric changes, and climate impacts.

Recognize the adaptations and diversifications of life forms across different geological periods.

Identify the influences of glaciations on different groups of organisms.

---

Definitions:

Priority Rules

Guidelines used in manufacturing and project management to determine the order in which tasks or jobs should be executed based on their importance.

Process Time

The duration it takes to complete a specific task or operation from start to finish in a manufacturing or service process.

LPT

Shortest Processing Time, a rule used in job sequencing to minimize the total processing time by scheduling jobs in ascending order of their processing times.