15.2 Flashcards
What is an acquired trait?
one that is not determined by genes. it arises during an organisms lifetime as a result of hte organisms experience or behavior
WHat is natural selection?
Organisms best suited to their environment reproduce more successfully than other organisms. Over generations, the porportion of organisms with favourable traits increases in a population.
What is uniformitarianism?
this principle holds that they geological structure of Earth resulted from cycles of observable processes and that these same processes operate continuously through time.
What does it mean if a species adapts?
A population of organisms adapts to their environment as their porportion of fabourable genes increases. Populations change genetically over generations to becoe more suited to their environment.
What is fitness?
A single organisms genetic contribution to the next generation. An individual with high fitness is well adapted to its environment and reproduces more successfully than an organism with low fitness.
WHat is an adaptive advantage?
An adaptive advantage is a favourable trait given to an organism.
How is an acquired characteristic destermined?
It is not determined by genes, but instead arises during the organisms lifetime as a result of its experience and behavior.
How did Lyell’s book, Principles of Geology help Darwin see that natural selection over many generations could explain species modification?
allowing him to consider the possinility that the modification of environments might be a slow process requiring longs periods of time. He reasoned that the pace of these adaptions woudl be so slow in regard to a human life span thaththey would be difficult to detect.
How many years have passed since Darwin published The Origin of Life? Why is it still relevant today?
- 156 years
- It is still relevant because it was one of the first books published that discussed the theories of evolution and the content of the book is still used today as no one has discovered anyting other than what Darwin discusses in his book
How did Darwin think that the environment limits the growth of populations?
bu increasing the rate of death or decreasing the rate or reproduction, or both
If a favourable trait increases the life span of an organism without affecting reproduction success, does it contribute to evolution?
It does not affect reproductive success so no. If you don’t pass the genes on then it is lost.
