Exam 1

Question 1

Evolution

Answer 1

Any Change in allele frequency
-descent with modification

Question 2

alleles

Answer 2

variants of genes

Question 3

locus

Answer 3

specific location in the genome

Question 4

Mechanisms

Answer 4

mutation
selection (leads to adaptation)
genetic drift
gene flow
ALL 4 can happen at once

Question 5

Ecology is often “adaptationist”

Answer 5

we start with the hypothesis that we are observing adaptations

Question 6

genetic drift

Answer 6

Allele Frequency Changes due to Chance
*All Populations
*All Loci - independently and in random directions.
increase impact in smaller populations
selection and drift must act at the same time because drift is happening all the time (they are usually opposing each other)

Question 7

Gene Flow

Answer 7

movement of individuals into or out of a population
*Some populations
*All Loci

Question 8

Selection

Answer 8

Difference in fitness among individuals due to trait differences
*some populations
*some loci

Question 9

Adaptation

Answer 9

evolution in response to natural selection on heritable (genetic) trait differences
or
change in allele frequency due to response in environment

Question 10

phenotypes

Answer 10

trait* differences among individuals

Question 11

Life History

Answer 11

Pattern of Life Events
birth-growth-reproduction-death
these are survival and repro traits so we expect them to be well adapted

Question 12

K strategy

Answer 12

Slow and Steady
High Investment
Limited Resources
High Competition

Question 13

R strategy

Answer 13

Live Fast, die young
High Resources (for now)
low competition
more offspring/short lifespan

Question 14

Which plant strategy shows K strategy

Answer 14

**germinate early in the cold and grow all winter
germinate later in the warm and grow in spring

Question 15

trade-offs

Answer 15

reproduction
growth
lifespan
defense
these shape what combination of traits are possible

Question 16

R of K if we reduced egg size by removing some yolk?

Answer 16

Smaller offspring at a faster rate with less defenses and speed etc. so R

Question 17

Annual Seeds

Answer 17

Rapid, R selected growth
Annuals tend to have very low chromosome numbers

Question 18

Perennial Seeds

Answer 18

Larger Seeds
slow growth
k selected

Question 19

Geoff’s annual vs perennial research question and hypothesis:

Answer 19

is annual growth habit associated with rapid chromosome number reduction in plants adapted to desert environments?
Hypothesis
Low chromosomes are favored in annual outcropping species in desert environments
NULL: chromosome number had no relationship with growth habit

Question 20

Descending Dysploidy

Answer 20

single chromosome number reduction without associated gene less

Question 21

Prediction
Independent
Dependent

Answer 21

Annual will have a higher rate of descending dysploidy
dependent: rate of descending dysploidy
independ: growth habit

Question 22

Five things for experimental design

Answer 22

Testable Hypothesis- do observations match your predictions
Indep
Dep
Scale
Study Type

Question 23

Independent Variable

Answer 23

Conditions you choose

Question 24

Dependent Variable

Answer 24

response you are measuring
cause (independent) -> effect (dependent)

Question 25

Scales of Interaction

Answer 25

Individual, population, pairwise, community, ecosystem

Question 26

Population Scale

Answer 26

groups of individuals in same species at same place and at the same time Social interactions within species Why do populations grow or shrink

Question 27

Pairwise

Answer 27

How do different species interact enemies coexist? Generalist Vs. Specialist

Question 28

Community Level

Answer 28

Groups of species in the same place at same time how do so many species coexist? which can coexist and which cannot? Why are more species at one place and time than others?

Question 29

Manipulative Experiment

Answer 29

create treatments and measure their effects can test for causation

Question 30

Observational

Answer 30

Find situations and compare them make challenging comparisons but cannot infer causation

Question 31

Natural Experiment

Answer 31

What ecologists use -we know something has caused different situations and we compare them a form of observational

Question 32

Theory

Answer 32

also used by ecologists ecological relationships via mathematics predictions etc.

Question 33

Optimality

Answer 33

Maximizing payoff given constraints in biology- finding trait value where fitness payoff is maximized (this is also adaptation)

Question 34

Measuring for Optimality

Answer 34

Vary the trait (indep v) Measure Fitness Payoff (dep) Prediction: biggest payoff at most common value for trait

Question 35

repeated evolution of traits in response to same environments

Answer 35

=Parallel evolution= evidence of changes in optimal traits and their costs and benefits different environments can change cost benefits and payoffs which can change the optimal trait

Question 36

Plasticity

Answer 36

change in a trait in response to a change in environment -no genetic change (this is a behavioral change) -plasticity can evolve and adapt but is not always an adaptation

Question 37

Adaptive Plasticity of acclimation

Answer 37

**Increases fitness to match optimality IF it increases fitness "trait changes to new optimum (no evolution)"

Question 38

Behavior

Answer 38

Form of plasticity response to env't stim Varies among individuals can be heritable, and evolves rapidly

Question 39

benefits of groups

Answer 39

protection division of labor knowledge mates habitat modification

Question 40

costs of groups

Answer 40

cheaters competition within resource depletion providing for group attracting enemies disease

Question 41

Game Theory

Answer 41

optimizing strategy for a player given that it is in a group- payoff matrix