What is a 'Species'?
A species is a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals
capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
Examples of organisms that are a 'species':
Humans (Homo sapiens)
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
Sticky Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus)
Humans (Homo sapiens)
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
Sticky Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus)
Different species can be related, like cousins, but in order for two individuals to have babies, they have to be part of the same species.
* Note that a species can be plant, animal, fungi, bacteria, protozoa... - anything living is a member of a species!
What is an 'Endemic Species'?
Endemic species are plants and animals that exist only in one geographic region.
Species can be endemic to large or small areas of the earth: some are endemic to a particular continent, some to part of a continent, and others to a single island.
Usually an area that contains endemic species is isolated in some way, so that species have difficulty spreading to other areas, or it has unusual environmental characteristics to which endemic species are uniquely adapted.
To begin understanding what an endemic species is,
we first must understand how 'speciation' occurs:
Once a new species has been created through the process of evolution, if that species only exists in one place, it is considered endemic! It exists only in one place, and nowhere else on earth!"
Examples of Endemic Species around the world:
Check out this informative Short Film to learn more about some neat endemic species:
The Galapagos Islands: A Case Study
The Galapagos Islands, of Ecuador, host a famous example of endemic species. Because land-locked organisms on islands cannot reproduce with organisms outside of their own island, they end up having many adaptations and mutations that make them perfectly suited for their specific island. Over time, this isolation causes 'speciation', or the creation of an entirely unique species that cannot reproduce with any others!
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An Endemic Species Lesson Plan
Now that you know what the term 'endemic species' means
and you have learned about some of the amazing endemic species in of the Galapagos Islands,
it's time to found out about some of the plants and animals that are endemic to where you live!
First, here are some ideas to get you started with thinking about which plants and animals live near you:
* Do a Backyard Biodiversity Survey:
https://www.kcedventures.com/blog/outdoor-science-biodiversity-for-kids
*Participate in a Citizen Science Project like Celebrate Urban Birds"
https://celebrateurbanbirds.org/
https://www.kcedventures.com/blog/outdoor-science-biodiversity-for-kids
*Participate in a Citizen Science Project like Celebrate Urban Birds"
https://celebrateurbanbirds.org/
Now, lets narrow things down to who is ENDEMIC to your area.
This can be a bit tricky. If you live on an island (like the Galapagos) the plants and animals are kept separate from other plants and animals and it's easier to determine what your region is. But plants and animals don't care much about things like "states" and "countries", so in a large landmass like the Americas, or Europe or Asia it can take a little work to figure out who is endemic to your area. |
What animals do care about are Biomes.
What is a biome?
A biome is an area of the earth that shares a similar climate, altitude, and seasonal light conditions. "
Ready to research your local endemic species?
You can type "{the name of your state or provence} + endemic species" into the google search bar, and google will give you a pretty good place to start. Just make sure you remember to consider what Biome you are in. For instance, Colorado has both American Pika and Black-tailed Prairie dogs, but if you live on the Plains Prairie dogs are your endemic neighbors, not Pika. If you live in the Mountains, Pika may be your neighbors but not Black-tailed Prairie dogs. Keep in mind, some species are "generalists" and can adapt to almost any environment. Even though they may be your neighbors, they are not endemic because they can be found in lots of different biomes (Red Foxes, American Robins and Crows are awesome generalists!) Below you can click on the file to download a worksheet to compare your chosen species with a similar Galapagos species.
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Once you have your Endemic plant or animal picked out,
Make some Art and enter it for the Endemic Artivism Gallery!
(And remember plants can be endemic species too)
Make some Art and enter it for the Endemic Artivism Gallery!
(And remember plants can be endemic species too)