Charles Darwin Theory/ Natural Selection Flashcards
(22 cards)
Who studied finches on Galapagos Island?
Charles Darwin
What year what Charles Darwin born?
1809
What did Darwin observe about different species of birds?
That they were uniquely adapted to their environment
What are species?
A group of organisms that can mate with one another to produce fertile offspring
What is adaptation?
A characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment
What are some examples of adaptation?
Sharper teeth to eat meat, lungs to live longer on land, longer neck to reach food
What is selective breeding?
Humans breeding animals together to make the offspring have desirable traits
What is natural selection?
The process by which organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce more than organisms without the favorable trait
What are the 4 steps of natural selection?
Overproduction (old)
Genetic Variation (garry)
Struggle to survive (suddenly)
Successful reproduction (shrunk)
When is it good to be a small specie?
When food is limited or when an animal needs to hide
What are changes in the DNA called?
mutations
What does mutations cause?
The variations or differences in a population where the genes cause differences in traits
What causes some mutations?
Mutagens
Can mutation are neutral or harmful?
YES
Can the mutations cause an individual in a population to survive better?
YES
What are some Mutagens?
Some chemicals, X-rays, Ultraviolet radiation, extreme temperature changes
Can some mutations be spontaneous?
YES (which means it just happens without anything happening)
What part of the finches did he notice changed due to natural selection? Why did it change?
The beaks were changed. Because they needed to adapt to their environment
What happens to the organisms that have traits that are well suited for their environment?
They are able to survive long in their environment, which makes them able to reproduce offspring and grow the population
What happens to the organisms that have traits that are not well suited for their environment?
They will survive shorter because they don’t adapt to their environment in their environment, which makes them not able to reproduce offspring and grow the population.
If all the trees in an environment with giraffes with food are tall, what will happen to the giraffes with long necks?
They are able to survive because they can reach the food
