16.3 - On the Origins of Species & Common Descent Flashcards
What is the “struggle for existence?”
If more individuals are produced than can survive, members of a population must complete to obtain food, living space, and other limited necessities of life.
What do all species fight for?
Food, Living Space, & Limited Necessities of Life
According to Darwin, which species always comes out on top?
The species that adapts and have high fitness to survive in their environment.
What is Adaptation?
Traits/Characteristics that enable a species to survive.
Examples of Adaptations Are:
Mimicry, camouflage, types of behaviors to scare off predators etc.
What is Fitness?
How well an organisms can reproduce and survive in its environment.
What ensures that a species can survive & reproduce?
high fitness
What does survival mean?
reproducing and passing adaptations on to the next generation.
What affects an organism’s fitness?
How well suited they are to their environment.
Explain Darwin’s concept of “Survival of the Fittest”
The difference in rates of survival and pro production is called survival of the fittest. A species that is going to be better adapted to their environment because they are able to withstand whatever threats there are. A certain species survives and reproduces more often than others do in its environment.
What is Natural Selection?
The process by which organisms with variations most suited to their local environment survive and leave more offspring.
What influences the fitness of a species?
environment
What is Darwin’s mechanism for evolution?
Natural Selection
Natural Selection acts only on…
variations/traits that the parents can pass on to their offspring
What are Darwin’s 3 concepts?
1) Natural Selection
2) Evolution
3) The Origin of Species
