Evolution Flashcards

If you shot yourself in the foot it would probably be less painful (18 cards)

1
Q

How does adaptation happen (use moths as example)

A
  • starts with mutation in DNA
  • this leads to variation
  • if variation helps survival it has greater chance of being passed on to future generations
  • If trees are light most moths will be light, if trees are dark most moths will be dark
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2
Q

What is the difference between natural and artificial selection?

A
Nat:
-is situational. Whatever helps survival
Art:
-controlled by humans
-may not be beneficial
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3
Q

What is selective pressure?

A

Environmental conditions that select for certain characteristics of individuals against other characteristics

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4
Q

What is fitness?

A

The relative contribution an individual makes to the next generation by producing offspring that will survive long enough to reproduce

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5
Q

What were different scientists’ contribution to the theory of evolution?

A

John Ray: Classification of plants and animals

Charles Linnaeus: Father of taxonomy

  1. George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
    - published 44 volume “Histoire naturelle”
    - suggested species change over time
    - suggested earth is older than 600 years
  2. Mary Anning
    - expert fossil collector and paleontologist
    - found first plesiousar fossil (aquatic reptiles)
  3. George Cuvier
    - supported Anning
    - developed paleontology
    - suggested catastrophism (periodic catastrophes allowed areas to be repopulated)
  4. Charles Lyell
    - scottish geologist
    - proposed uniformitarianism (geological process occur at the same speeds as in the past
  5. Jean Baptiste Lamarak
    -french naturalist
    -suggested inheritance of aquired characteristics
    (passed on to offspring)
    -influenced Charles Darwin
  6. Alfred Russel Wallace
    - British naturalist
    - reached similar conclusion to Darwin, influenced him
  7. Thomas Matthus
    - economist
    - suggested more offspring were born than could be supported, creating survival of the fittest
    - influenced Darwin
  8. Charles Darwin:
    - british naturalist
    - made observations on the coast of south america
    - combined observations and theories into theory of evolution by natural selection
    - originally not termed evolution, which would imply progress, but descent with modification
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6
Q

What is it and who coined the term “survival of the fittest”

A

The idea that the organisms that are the fittest leave the most offspring, so those organisms win the struggle for survival. Coined by John Spencer

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7
Q

What is some of the evidence for evolution?

A
  1. Fossil record
    - older layers have simpler species
    - appear in chronological order
    - not all appear at the same time
  2. Transitional fossils
    - intermediate forms
    - vestigial structures, a reduced version of something functional in ancestors
  3. Biogeography
    - close environments have more closely related species
    - animals on islands resemble those on the main continent
    - fossils of the same species can be found on neighboring continents
    - closely related species are almost never found in exactly the same location
  4. Anatomy
    - homologous structures have similar structure but different function
    - analogous structures have similar function but no common origin
  5. Embryology
    - most are similar as embryos
  6. DNA
    - many are similar
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8
Q

What are factors that affect allele frequencies?

A

Mutation: Randomly introduce new alleles
Gene flow: Occurs between two different interbreeding populations that have different allele frequencies
Non-random mating: Individuals in a population select mates on the basis of phenotypes. Includes inbreeding or self pollination. Increases the presence of homozygous individuals
Genetic drift: Random changes due to chance
Natural selection: Environment selects for certain traits that make it easier to survive

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9
Q

What are kinds of genetic drift?

A

-only some will reproduce causing some alleles to be drifted out
The founder effect: A limited gene pool that results when just a few individuals start a population
The bottleneck effect: Changes in gene distribution due to dramatic reduction in population size

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10
Q

What are kinds of natural selection?

A

Stabilizing selection: Both extremes get chopped off
Directional selection: One extreme becomes more common
Disruptive selection: Both extremes become more common

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11
Q

What are some pre-zygotic isolating mechanisms?

A

Prevention of mating:

  • Behavioral isolating (different songs, different ranges)
  • Habitat isolation (same area, diff habitat, don’t encounter)
  • temporal isolation (timing, overlap between flowing times)

Prevention of fertilization

  • mechanical isolation (anatomically incompatible)
  • gametic isolation (different species will rarely form zygote. Won’t fuse)
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12
Q

What are some post-zygotic isolating mechanisms?

A
  • Hybrid inviability (they die)
  • Hybrid sterility
  • Hybrid breakdown (after a generation or two cannot produce viable offspring)
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13
Q

What is sympatric speciation?

A

Populations within the same areas diverge and become reproductively isolated. If a genetic change results in reproductive barrier a new species can be generated in a single generation. Example, errors in meiosis resulting in polyploidy

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14
Q

What is allopatric speciation?

A

A population is split into two or more isolated groups by a geographical barrier. Once removed if they cannot reproduce a new species is formed (Ex. Darwins finches)

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15
Q

What is adaptive radiation?

A

The diversification of common ancestral species into a variety of differently adapted species ( a form of allopatric speciation)

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16
Q

What is divergent and convergent evolution?

A

Di: Species that were once similar become distinctly different
Con: Similar traits arise in different species because of independent adaption to similar environments

17
Q

What are the possible speeds of evolutionary change

A

Gradualism: Slow and steady before and after divergence

Punctuated equalibrium: Evolutionary history consists of long periods of stasis interrupted by periods of divergence

18
Q

What is microevolution?

A

Change in just one population over a short period of time