Evolutionary Thinking

Question 1

what do the nodes in the phylogentic trees repersent?

Answer 1

an evolutionary branch or speciation event (could show when species’ were last related to each other)

Question 2

what are homologous traits?

Answer 2

traits that are similar to one another due to shared ancestory.

Question 3

what is descent with modification?

Answer 3

the idea that species change over time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor

Question 4

what is evolution a process of? and what does that tell us about characteristics of ancestral species

Answer 4

• process of descent with modification
• characteristics of ancestral species are modified (mostly by natural selection) as the descendants over time face different environmental challenges

Question 5

what is homology

Answer 5

similarity resulting from common ancestory

Question 6

What is “Evo-Devo”?

Answer 6

• evolutionary development
• looks at how changes in ambryonic development during single generations relate to the evolutionary changes that occur between generations

Question 7

if 3 different species all had the capacity to fly, does that mean that their wings are all homologous traits? Explain

Answer 7

• no
• would not be homolgous, since they didn’t have the traits come from a common ancestor
• this is an evolution of similar traits in response to similar selective pressures, but completetly independent of evolutionary lineages known as convergent evolution

Question 8

what is convergent evolution?

Answer 8

similarities that result from populations being exposed to similar selective pressures.

Question 9

what is a “sister group”

Answer 9

the group of a species that evolved from the same common ancestor

Question 10

why would the analysis of nucleic acids be helpful in describing the conservation of genes in the genome?

Answer 10

could tell us which genes in the genome are conserved over evolutionary time, due to the importance of their function to life, that the genes will evolve rly slowly due to being functionally constrained

Question 11

what are ribosomal RNA in humans an example of?

Answer 11

• genes that are conserved and take a while to evolve
• changes occur so slowly in these genes

Question 12

what are the three domains of evolution?

Answer 12

Archaea, bacteria, Eucarya

Question 13

what do species that resemble each other found on different continents mean?

Answer 13

• one hypothesis: long distance dispersal
• one hypothesis: Pangea, until the continents drifted apart, animals were together until seperated by this

Question 14

what is phenotypic variation?

Answer 14

within a population important traits will vary among individuals

Question 15

what is fitness?

Answer 15

variation in surivival and reproduction.

Question 16

what is covariation between trait variation and fitness variation mean together?

Answer 16

individuals will particular traits values leave more offspring to the next generation

Question 17

what is phenotypic selection?

Answer 17

individuals who have traits that are more beneficial to the population, will be more successful in leaving offspring for future generations

Question 18

what can phenotypic selection drive?

Answer 18

evolutionary change

Question 19

what happens if a trait does not exhibit a heritable feature in terms of natural selection

Answer 19

it can’t be passed on or be involved with natural selection

Question 20

what are the four conditions of natural selection to cause evolution

Answer 20

• phenotypic variation
• fitness
• covariation between trait variation and fitness variation
• phenotypic selection

Question 21

what is artifical selection?

Answer 21

the evolutionary process in which humans consciously select for or against particular features in organisms (ex. domestication of the dog)

Question 22

what is environmental change a driver of?

Answer 22

evolutionary change

Question 23

what is one important anthropogenic impact humans have had on species around the world?

Answer 23

the spread of species around the world

Question 24

what do invasive species do to native species in a habitat?

Answer 24

• confront native species with new predators, new competitors, and sometimes new food sources
• an example is the soapberry bug (pierce protective covering of fruit to eat the seeds inside)
• the soapberry bugs help to show that we can observe natural selecition in action over much shorter time frames than thought possible

Question 25

where is one main area where rapid evolution occurs?

Answer 25

parasites and pathogens