Topic 3.2 Flashcards
Explain what evolution is and how it causes biodiversity.
Evolution is the process of change in all forms of life over generations, leading to the development of new species and the diversification of life forms. Biodiversity is caused by evolution because as species evolve and adapt to their environments, new species emerge, leading to an increase in the variety of life on Earth.
Define speciation.
Speciation refers to the formation of new and distinct species from a common ancestral species.
Describe the causes of speciation.
The causes of speciation can include geographic isolation, reproductive isolation, genetic mutations, and natural selection.
Discuss the mechanisms that cause natural selection.
Natural selection is a mechanism of evolution that favors individuals with traits that are advantageous for survival and reproduction in a particular environment.
Demonstrate how natural selection contributes to biodiversity.
Natural selection contributes to biodiversity by allowing certain individuals to pass on their beneficial traits to future generations, leading to the proliferation of those traits within a population.
Discuss how environmental changes can lead to natural selection.
Environmental changes can lead to natural selection by creating new selective pressures and favoring individuals with traits that are better suited to the changed environment.
What are the various causes of population isolation
Population isolation can be caused by various factors such as mountain formation, changes in river courses or sea levels, climatic changes, and plate tectonics.
Explain how the creation of land bridges and physical barriers has evolutionary consequences.
The creation of land bridges and physical barriers can lead to isolation of populations, resulting in genetic divergence and the formation of new species over time.
Explain how plate tectonics has created land bridges and physical barriers.
Plate tectonics, the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates, has created land bridges and physical barriers that have influenced the distribution and evolution of species.
Explain how past mass extinctions increased biodiversity.
Past mass extinctions increased biodiversity by creating opportunities for surviving species to diversify and occupy ecological niches that were previously occupied by extinct species.
Discuss the causes of past mass extinctions.
Past mass extinctions have been caused by factors such as asteroid impacts, volcanic activity, and climate change, leading to the widespread loss of species.
