Part 5 C Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is microevolution?
Microevolution is the accumulation of minor changes in a species over a relatively short period of time.
It involves processes such as mutation, migration, genetic drift, natural selection, and non-random mating.
What is a mutation?
Mutations are changes in DNA that cause genetic variation.
Big mutations often harm or kill the organism, while small ones can accumulate and lead to evolution.
What is gene flow?
Gene flow is the migration that moves genes between populations, adding genetic variation.
The gene pool is all the genetic information in a population.
Define genetic drift.
Genetic drift is a random change in which traits are common in a population.
It can occur in any population size and can lead to groups becoming genetically different.
What is the Bottleneck Effect?
The Bottleneck Effect occurs when most of a population dies, leaving only a few survivors whose traits dominate future generations.
This can happen due to disasters.
What is the Founder Effect?
The Founder Effect occurs when a few individuals start a new population, resulting in reduced genetic variation.
Their limited genes influence the genetic characteristics of future generations.
What is natural selection?
Natural selection is the process where some individuals survive and reproduce better due to helpful traits.
These traits become more common in the next generation.
What does non-random mating mean?
Non-random mating occurs when individuals do not have the same chance of mating, affecting which traits are passed on more often.
This can influence genetic variation in a population.
Define speciation.
Speciation is the formation of new species, occurring when populations of the same species become isolated and start to change separately.
This leads to reproductive isolation and independent evolution of gene pools.
What is reproductive isolation?
Reproductive isolation can occur in several ways, including geographic, behavioral, and temporal isolation.
It prevents interbreeding between populations.
What is geographic isolation?
Geographic isolation occurs when members of a population are separated by physical barriers like rivers or mountains.
This separation can lead to speciation.
What is behavioral isolation?
Behavioral isolation occurs when differences in mating times, courtship rituals, or reproductive strategies affect mating.
This can prevent different populations from interbreeding.
What is temporal isolation?
Temporal isolation occurs when mating occurs at different times during the year.
This prevents populations from interbreeding.
Define macroevolution.
Macroevolution is large-scale evolution above the species level, explaining how complex life forms evolved from simpler ones over billions of years.
It encompasses significant evolutionary changes that result in new species and groups.
What is convergent evolution?
Convergent evolution is when unrelated organisms develop similar traits due to adapting to similar environments.
An example includes insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals developing wings for flight.
