Skip to content
← Theoretical A

Q36 - Phylogenetic Age Predicts Extinction Risk in Madagascan Plants

Theoretical A Real exam question - full text reproduced under IBO's CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Phylogenetic Trees & Cladistics Ecology

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is responsible for the millennium seed bank, including archiving the 70% of Madagascan plant species that are threatened with extinction. The shape of a plant phylogeny can be used to prioritise species for conservation. The tree fern (Cyatheales) phylogeny is typical of plants (1). The chance of plants being at risk of extinction is related to the age of the species (the length of its branch on a phylogeny) (2).

Figure for Q36: Phylogenetic Age Predicts Extinction Risk in Madagascan Plants

Using the information and data, determine which of the statements are true or which are false.

A. The vast majority of Madagascan species are likely found nowhere else.
B. The age of Madagascan species accounts for their unusually high extinction risk categorisations.
C. Globally, Kew should focus on collecting seeds from old species.
D. Failure to bank any Madagascan species will result in a greater loss of evolutionary history and genetic diversity than failure to bank African species.
← Previous: Q35 Next: Q37 →

Question reproduced from IBO 2017, Theoretical Exam A, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Official answer key & worked solutions