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Bio Topic 5 Flashcards

(46 cards)

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1
Q

Adaptation

A
  • A trait or characteristic that aids in the survival of an individual or species
  • Always comes from variation
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2
Q

Types of Adaptations

A
  1. Physiological Adaptation - Biochemical and body processes (i.e. hibernation, good eyesight)
  2. Structural Adaptation - Physical structure (i.e. camouflage, or sharp talons, claws, and teeth, good eyesight)
  3. Behavioural Adaptation
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3
Q

How do these adaptations develop

A
  • A gradual change in the members of a population over time
  • Variation
  • Can be both advantageous and disadvantageous
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4
Q

Variation

A

A difference in individuals in a population caused by a mutation

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5
Q

How variation occurs

A

Genetics
- Each parent has a different set of genes
- Each offspring gets 50% from each parent, which results in different combinations
Mutations
- Change in the genetic material of an organism
- Happen all the time spontaneously
- Can be passed on to offspring

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6
Q

Genetic Mutations

A
  • Can be beneficial
  • Common when an organism’s environment is changing
  • Provides a selective advantage for the organism

Examples:
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Huntington’s Disease
- Cystic Fibrosis

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7
Q

Natural Selection

A
  • When the characteristics of the POPULATION change because of the individuals that survive
  • For natural selection to occur, there must be variety
  • The environment exerts a selective pressure that causes certain individuals to survive while others will not
  • i.e. Darwin’s Finches
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8
Q

Fossils

A

Gives strong evidence of organisms changing
We have a record of many species that
lived in the past; obtained from fossils

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9
Q

Fossils provide the following evidence

A

Fossils found in ‘young’ rock layers are similar to species alive today
Fossils appear in chronological order in the rock layers
Not all organisms appear in the fossil record at the same time

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10
Q

Other patterns that have been found because of fossils

A
  1. different species lived on Earth at various times in the past
  2. complexity of living organisms has increased
  3. living species and their most closely matching fossils are typically located in the same geographic region
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11
Q

Transitional Fossils

A

Helped scientists better understand the process and relationships between groups of organisms

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12
Q

Patterns of Distribution - Biogeography

A

Continents used to be together
Any organisms only found on one specific continent suggest they evolved after the break up

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13
Q

Patterns of Distribution - From biogeography we can hypothesize

A
  1. That close environments are likely to be populated by related species
  2. Organisms found on islands are closely related to organisms on the closest continent which allows us to believe that the island organisms evolved from migrants from the mainland
  3. Fossils of the same species can be found on the coast of neighbouring continents (“supercontinent” - Pangea)
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14
Q

Anatomy

A
  • Homologous features
  • Analogous features
  • Vestigial features
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15
Q

Homologous features

A

Similar in structure; different
I.e. human, cat, whale, bat

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16
Q

Analogous features

A

Similar in structure AND function but they have a different evolutionary origin
I.e. wings on birds and insects

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17
Q

Vestigial features

A

Once had a purpose but due to natural selection, are no longer used
- Human examples: appendix, ear-wiggling muscles, tail bone, wisdom teeth
- Other organisms: whales have hip and leg bones

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18
Q

Embryology

A

Embryos of different organisms have similar stages of development

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19
Q

Molecular Biology

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A

All cells consist of similar structures and components (water, genetic material, proteins, etc.)
Enzymes control reactions
Proteins are made from amino acids
All cells that can replicate (duplicate) contain DNA

20
Q

Scientific hypothesis

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A

Educated guess that is testable -> trying to answer questions or explain observations

21
Q

Scientific theory

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A

Explanation to describe a set of observations

22
Q

Plato and Aristotle

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A

Believed that all life existed in a perfected and unchanging form

23
Q

Buffon

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A

Proposed that species could change over time
These changes could lead to new organisms

24
Q

Cuvier

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A

Developed the science of paleontology (study of fossils)
Found that each layer of rock had a unique group of fossil species

25
Lyell
Believed that slow, subtle processed could happen over a long period of time These could result in substantial changes
26
Lamarck
Student of Buffon Presented the first theory of evolution
27
Lamarck’s Theory
- While comparing species of animals, he discovered what he thought was a ‘line of descent’ (a series of fossils that led to a modern species) - Believed that new, very simple species were continually created by spontaneous generation and evolved to become more complex - Believed characteristics that an organism acquired during its lifetime would be passed onto its offspring (“inheritance of acquired characteristics”) - Recognized that the environment played a role in driving evolutionary change
28
HMS Beagle
Darwin travelled around the world on the HMS Beagle ship Gathered evidence on his trip that he used to develop his theory
29
Evidence of theory of evolution by natural selection
- Fossils in South America that were large versions of the sloth and armadillo - Species in the South American tropics did not resemble those living in the African tropics - Galapagos Islands has 13 similar species of finches - Observed fossils of corals at an elevation of 3000m in the Andes Mountains
30
People who influenced Darwin
Thomas Malthus - Essay on the Principle of Population - Showed that all species produce far more offspring that are able to survive Alfred Russel Wallace - Worked in Malaysia - Arrived at the same conclusion as Darwin
31
Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection
Observation 1 - Individuals within any species exhibit many inherited variations Observation 2 - Every generation produces far more offspring than can survive to reproduce Observation 3 - Populations of species tend to remain stable in size Inference 1 - Individuals of the same species are in a constant struggle for survival Inference 2 - Individuals with more favorable variations are more likely to survive and pass on these variations. Survival is not random - this is natural selection Inference 3 - Since individuals with more favorable variations contribute proportionately more offspring to succeeding generations, their favorable inherited variations will become more common - this is evolution
32
Example
- Development of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms (i.e. Penicillin) - Natural populations of bacteria contain considerable variation in their genetic material - When exposed to antibiotics, most bacteria die quickly, but some may have mutations that help them survive - If the exposure to antibiotics is short, these resistant individuals will survive the treatment while the others will die- natural selection - These surviving bacteria will then reproduce again, producing the next generation containing more bacteria that have some resistance against the antibiotic - Given enough time, and repeated exposure to the antibiotic, a population of antibiotic-resistance bacteria will emerge - The widespread use and misuse of antibiotics has resulted in increased microbial resistance to antibiotics in clinical use - ‘superbug’
33
Forming a New Species
Speciation Two ways that species can form: 1. Transformation 2. Divergence
34
Speciation
Formation of a new species Requires 2 populations to not inbreed; they are isolated from each other
35
Transformation
One species fully changes into a new species; original species no longer exists (species # does not change)
36
Divergence
Original species remains & new species arise (species # increases)
37
Biological barriers
- Habitat Isolation - Behavioural Isolation - Temporal Isolation - Mechanical Isolation - Gametic Isolation
38
Habitat Isolation
When they live in the same habitat but in different areas, so do not interact
39
Behavioural Isolation
Every species has different mating rituals, if they recognize or like the signals; mating does not occur
40
Temporal Isolation
Mating seasons or times of day may not line up
41
Mechanical Isolation
Reproductive anatomies are incompatible
42
Gametic Isolation
Incompatibility of sperm & egg OR DNA is too different to allow development to happen
43
Adaptive Radiation
Diversification of a common ancestral species into a variety of species I.e. Darwin’s finches
44
The Pace of Evolution
Two models proposed to explain the pace of evolution: Gradualism Punctuated equilibrium
45
Gradualism
Gradual small changes that accumulate over time
46
Punctuated equilibrium
Species will change the most when they first diverge from their common ancestor, but will then remain the same/see less change for long periods of time

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