Biology Concepts Test 1

Question 1

what is evolution?

Answer 1

the transformation of the lifeforms on earth over time

Question 2

what is creationism

Answer 2

states that all species were created exactly as they exist today

Question 3

what are fossils

Answer 3

are preserved remnants or impressions of an organism or something related to an organism that lived in the past

Question 4

what is catastrophism

Answer 4

the theory which states that the major changes in the Earths crust are the result of catastrophic events

Question 5

what is uniformitatanism

Answer 5

the principle that profound change is the cumulative product of slow continuous process

Question 6

what is natural selection

Answer 6

the differential success in the reproduction of different phenotypes resulting from the interaction of the organism from the environment

Question 7

what is convergent evolution

Answer 7

the independent development of similarity between species as a result of their having similar ecological roles and selection pressures

Question 8

what is analogous structures

Answer 8

have similarity due to convergent evolution rather than to decent forms from a common ancestor

Question 9

what are homologous structures

Answer 9

are similar because of common ancestry

Question 10

what are vestigial organs

Answer 10

have marginal or no importance to an organism. they are historical remnants of structures that had important function in ancestors

Question 11

what is artificial selection

Answer 11

the selective breeding of domestic plants and animals to encourage the occurrence of desirable traits

Question 12

what are the observations and inferences that Darwin made

Answer 12

O1: populations have potential for exponential growth
O2: population size is usually stable
I1: survival is a struggle and only a fraction survive
O3: traits are variable among individuals of a population
I2: survival is usually not random but is largely dependent upon heritable traits that are picked fro survival by nature
O4: most of those traits can be inherited
I3: unequal survival of individuals will lead to gradual change in population

Question 13

what is a population

Answer 13

a localized group of individuals that belong to the same biological species

Question 14

what is a Cline

Answer 14

a graded variation in a trait that parallels a gradient in the environment

Question 15

what is population genetics

Answer 15

the study of how populations change genetically over time

Question 16

what is a gene pool

Answer 16

the total aggregate of genes in a population at any one time

Question 17

what is gene flow

Answer 17

the genetic additions to or subtractions from a population resulting from movement of fertile individuals or gametes

Question 18

what is genetic drift

Answer 18

the unpredictable fluctuations in allies frequencies from one generation to the next because a populations finite size

Question 19

what is the bottleneck effect

Answer 19

a drastic reduction in population size

Question 20

what is the founder effect

Answer 20

a few individuals colonize a new habitat

Question 21

what is inbreeding

Answer 21

individual in a population mates with close members

Question 22

what is assertive mating

Answer 22

individuals mare with similar phenotypes

Question 23

what is intrasexual selection

Answer 23

the direct competition among individuals (usually males) for a mate of the opposite sex

Question 24

what is intersexual selection

Answer 24

the selection whereby individuals of one sex (usually female) are choosy in selecting a mate of the opposite sex

Question 25

what is a directional mode

Answer 25

shifts the population to one extreme

Question 26

what is disruptive mode

Answer 26

shift the population to both extremes and away from the middle

Question 27

what is a stabilizing mode

Answer 27

reduced phenotypic variation

Question 28

what is the biological species concept

Answer 28

a population or group of population whose members have the potential to interbreed in nature and produce viable, fertile offspring with members of other populations

Question 29

what is the morphological species concept

Answer 29

defines by measureable anatomical criteria

Question 30

what is the ecological species concept

Answer 30

a species in terms of ecological role (niches). based on behavior

Question 31

what is the phylogenetic species concept

Answer 31

an irredictible group whose members are descended from a common ancestor and who posses a combination of certain or defining traits

Question 32

wha is speciation

Answer 32

the origin of how species as a result of evolution

Question 33

what are the two main components of speciation

Answer 33

isolation of the population | genetic diversity

Question 34

what are reproductive barriers

Answer 34

are the existence of any factors that impede members of two species from producing viable fertile offspring

Question 35

what is prezygotic isolating mechanisms

Answer 35

hinders zygotes formation

Question 36

what is geographical isolation

Answer 36

prevents populations from interbreeding but if the species are put togethers they may mate

Question 37

what is ecological isolation

Answer 37

isolation based of where they choose to live

Question 38

what is temporal isolation

Answer 38

breeding seasons occur a different times

Question 39

what is behavioral isolation

Answer 39

wrong type of mating dance

Question 40

what is mechanical incompatibly

Answer 40

physiological barrier

Question 41

what is gametic incompatibly

Answer 41

sperm and eggs are chemically matched

Question 42

what is post zygotic isolation mechanisms

Answer 42

hinders zygote development and propagation

Question 43

what is hybrid viability

Answer 43

offspring are weak or lack survival skills | cannot build a proper nest

Question 44

what is hybrid fertility

Answer 44

hybrid is sterile or has greatly diminished fertility

Question 45

what is hybrid breakdown

Answer 45

the initial hybrid is viable and fertile but subsequent generations have either reduced viability, reduced fertility or both

Question 46

what is allotropic speciation

Answer 46

is a mode of speciation included when an ancestral population becomes separated by a geographic barrier or itself divided into two or more geographically isolated subpopulations

Question 47

what is sympatric speciation

Answer 47

is a mode of speciations occurring as a result of radical change in genome of a subpopulation, reproductively isolating the subpopulation from the parent population

Question 48

what is autopolyploidy

Answer 48

individual had more than two sets of chromosomes, all derived from a single species

Question 49

what is allopolyploidy

Answer 49

species with multiple sets of chromosomes derived from different species

Question 50

what are hybrid zone

Answer 50

are regions where two related populations that diverged after becoming geographically isolated makes secondary contact and interbreed where their geographical ranges overlap