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Science exam 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

Evolution

A

Evolution is the gradual change in the characteristics of a species over many generations. It explains the diversity of life and how organisms are related through common ancestry

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2
Q

Adaptation and an example

A

Is a characteristic(physical or behavioural) that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment. Example is thick fur in arctic foxes is a structural adaptation for cold climates.

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3
Q

What are the three types of adaptations

A

Behavioural, Physiological and Morphological

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4
Q

What is behavioural adaptation?

A

An action that helps an organism survive for examples birds migrating to warmer climates

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5
Q

What is physiological adaptation?

A

An internal body function that aids survival for example snakes producing venom.

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6
Q

What is morphological(structural) adaptation.

A

A physical feature that supports survival for example giraffes having long necks to reach high levels.

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7
Q

Who is Charles Darwin?

A

A british naturalist who proposed the theory of natural selection

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8
Q

What is natural selection?

A

The process where individuals with traits better suited to the environment survive, reproduce and pass on those traits

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9
Q

What is interbreeding

A

Mating between individuals of the same species like wolves interbreeding

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10
Q

What is an example of speciation?

A

Finches evolving on islands

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11
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

Refers to the variety of life at all levels for example genetic within a species, species and the different number of them and the ecosystem and its variety of habitats.

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12
Q

More biodiversity is

A

More resilience to envrionmental change

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13
Q

Phylogenetic trees show

A

Diagrams showing evolutionary relationships

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14
Q

The branches on phylogenetic trees represent what

A

Different species

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15
Q

The nodes on phylogenetic trees represent what

A

common ancestors

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16
Q

Trade offs are

A

Traits that help with reproduction but reduce survival like bright feathers that help male birds attract birds but also makes them easier for predators to spot

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17
Q

Trade offs are an example of

A

ornamentation which is a decorative trait used to attract mates or intimidate rivals

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18
Q

Short- Term Vs Long Term Survival

A

Evolving quickly can help species adapt fast but fast living species often have shorter life spans and may burn out. EG bacteria can evolve resistance to antibiotics quickly but this can come with energy costs that reduce survival in other conditions

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19
Q

Risk of evolution

A

Evolution is slow. If the environment changes too quickly species might not adapt in time like polar bears that rely on sea ice to hunt, as sea ice melts due to climate change they are greater risk of extinction.

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20
Q

Not perfect solutions

A

Evolution only works with traits that already exist it cannot create brand new features from nothing. for eg the human eye has a blind spot but it works well enough to survive

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21
Q

Genetic limitations

A

Some species don’t have enough genetic variation to develop new traits making adaptation harder.

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22
Q

Limits of evolution are

A

Trade offs, short term vs long term survival, risk of extinction

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23
Q

What is Variation

A

Variation refers to the natural difference in traits that exist between individuals of the same species.

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24
Q

What can the variation differences be in

A

Can be physical like size or colour, behavioural or physiological

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25
What are the two types of variation?
Genetic and environmental
26
What is genetic variation?
Caused by differences in DNA. This is the type passed from parent to offspring and is essential for natural selection
27
What is environmental variation?
Caused by external factors like climate or diet that is not passed on.
28
What are examples of variation
Fur colour in rabbits beak shape in birds ability to camouflage
29
What are the special types of inherited variation
Mimicry and Innate behaviour
30
What is mimicry
When an organism evolves to look like another species to avoid predators like a harmless king snake mimics the colour pattern of a venomous coral snake
31
What is innate behaviour
Inherited behaviours that help survival and don't need to be learned like birds migrating in winter
32
Why variation matters in natural selection
If there is no variation then natural selection has nothing to select from. Some traits give certain individuals an advantage in survival or reproduction. These individuals are more likely to pass on their traits slowly changing the population over time.
33
What is inheritance?
Is the passing on of genetic traits like eye colour from parents to offspring through their DNA. These inherited traits are what allow evolution to happen over many generations
34
Traits are coded in what
In genes found in DNA
35
Example of inheritance in Action
In a population of mice some are born with brown fur others have white fur Brown furred mice are more likely to survive and reproduce passing on the brown fur trait Over generations more mice are born with brown fur because that trait is inherited and advantageous.
36
What is genetic isolation
Populations stop sharing genes due to limited or no reproduction between them like one group of frogs that develop a mutation over time that makes mating unlikely
37
What is geographical isolation?
Populations are physically separated by barriers like mountains or rivers. for eg a flood splits a lizard population into two arras and they evolve differently
38
What is social or behavioural isolation?
Populations stop mating due to different mating calls or behaviours like two bird groups sing different songs and don't recognise each other as mates
39
What happens if isolated populations can't interbreed
Different traits may become common in each group and over time speciation can occur they become so different they are now sperate species
40
What is a selection pressure?
Are factors in an environment that make some traits more helpful for survival or reproduction than others
41
What do selection pressure help
They help decide which individuals survive long enough to pass on their traits to the next generation
42
What are some selection pressures
Predation, Disease, Food availability, Climate and Mating
43
What is predation
When animals are hunted by predators, traits that help avoid being caught are more useful
44
An example of predation
A rabbit with brown fur blends into the dirt better than a white one so predators are less likely to spot it
45
Why does predation matter on the example
The camouflaged rabbit survives and passes on its fur colour
46
What is disease?
Illness can spread quickly. Individuals with stronger immune systems or resistant traits survive better
47
Disease example
A plant with natural resistance to a virus continues to grow while others die this matters as resistant plants reproduce spreading the helpful trait.
48
What is food availability?
Traits that help organisms find, catch, or process food and give them an advantage.
49
What is an example of food availability?
Birds with long, narrow beaks can reach nectar in flowers that short beaked birds cant access this matters so they get more food stay healthier and produce more offspring
50
What is climate
Weather and temperature affect which traits help survival.
51
Climate example
Animals with thick fur survive cold winters better than those with thin fur. This matters because thick furred animals are more likely to survive and reproduce in cold climates.
52
Mating meaning
Sometimes traits help attract a mate even if they don't help with survival
53
Mating example
Peacocks with bright, colourful traits are more likely to impress mated this matters as traits get passed on ever if they also make the peacock easier to spot by predators
54
The more generations that pass
the more opportunities there are for evolutionary changes to occur in a population
55
Generation time is
the time between when an organism is born and when it reproduces
56
Why do species with shorter generation times evolve faster
because they have more generations in less time this means advantageous traits spread more quickly while species with longer generation times evolve more slowly
57
What would happen to natural selection without time
Beneficial traits can't spread and speciation won't occur
58
What are fossils
Preserved remains traces or impressions of organisms that lived in the past
59
Most fossils are
rock not original bone over time minerals replace the organic material
60
Where are most fossils found
In sedimentary rock because it forms in layers that gently bury and preserve remains
61
Metamorphic and igneous rocks are
generally too hot, active and dense to preserve fossils
62
What is the fossilisation process
1. Quick burial- Prevents decay or scavenging 2. Low oxygen- Slow decomposition 3. Mineral- rich water- Minerals replace the original structure 4. Time- often million years
63
Permineralisation is
Minerals seep into tiny spaces in bone, shell or wood turning them into stone
64
What is radiometric dating
Uses decay of radioactive isotopes to calculate actual age eg carbon 14 dates recent fossils
65
What is a fossil record
Shows gradual changes in species over time it records when species appear and when they go extinct
66
What are transitional fossils
Have features of two different groups like archaeopteryx shows traits of reptiles and birds
67
What is biogeography
The study of where different species live and why
68
What is adaptive radiation
One species evolves into many different species in new environments example wombats all evolved from a common ancestor.
69
Patterns in distribution
Support common ancestry and evolution
70
What is DNA evidence
The more similar the DNA the closer the evolutionary relationshops
71
What is protein evidence
Similar proteins like haemoglobin also show relatedness
72
All life shares
The universal genetic code supporting the idea of a common ancestor
73
What is homologous and what does it show
Same structure different function like human and dogs it shows divergent evolution(common ancestor different uses)
74
What is Analogous and what does it show
Same function different structure like bat and bird that show convergent evolution different ancestors similar adaptations
75
What is vestigial
Structure that has lost most or all of its original function through the course of evolution like an appendix it shows evidence of change over time.
76
What is embryonic?
Similar embryos in early development like fish and reptiles it shows common ancestry.
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