3B2 Drivers of Evolution Flashcards
Explain factors contributing to evolution. Use the Hardy-Weinberg equation to determine equilibrium and ecosystem balance.
Define evolution.
A change in the genetics within a population over time.
Who proposed the theory of acquired characteristics?
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Theory of acquired characteristics is also known as Heritability of acquired characteristics or Lamarckian inheritance.
What does the theory of acquired characteristics propose?
Characteristics acquired by an organism during its lifetime can be passed on to its offspring.
Who proposed the theory of evolution through natural selection?
Charles Darwin
What is the theory of evolution?
Evolution is driven by natural selection, where organisms with traits best adapted to their environment will survive and pass on those traits to future generations.
Which theory of evolution is more accepted and why?
Darwin’s theory of evolution is more accepted due to its focus on genetic variation and natural selection.
What are the principles of Darwinian evolution?
- Populations, rather than individuals, evolve.
- Evolution is possible because genetic variation exists within a population.
- Individuals with different genotypes in the population reproduce at different rates.
- Natural selection determines a differential rate of reproduction.
What is biogeography?
The study of how different species are distributed in different environments.
Who is considered the father of biogeography?
Alfred Wallace
Alfred Wallace’s voyages involved collecting specimens to sell to natural history museums and collections in England.
Who proposed the theory of evolution in the 1800s?
Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace.
Charles Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species in 1859, proposing the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Alfred Russel Wallace independently conceived a similar theory, and both scientists jointly presented their ideas in 1858 to the Linnean Society of London.
How did Alfred Wallace contribute to the theory of evolution?
He provided independent findings on natural selection and collaborated with Darwin on scientific publications.
What is the Wallace Effect?
A hypothesis by Alfred Wallace stating that natural selection can lead to reproductive isolation and speciation.
What did Alfred Wallace believe about the adaptation and evolution of plants and animals?
That plants and animals adapted and evolved in response to their environment.
Define incipient species.
Refers to a population that has been geographically isolated and has adapted new traits to their new environment.
How does reproductive isolation occur?
When two populations of the same species are separated by some barrier, preventing them from producing viable offspring.
What is genetic drift?
Refers to changes in the genotype of a population due to selective pressures and random genetic mutations.
What is the main difference between Wallace and Darwin’s theory of evolution?
Wallace believed that plants and animals evolved to their environment, while Darwin believed adaptations were driven by competition.
What did Alfred Wallace conclude?
- The theory of evolution is driven by natural selection.
- Natural selection is the process where organisms with traits best adapted to their environment survive to pass on those traits to future generations.
- Wallace also hypothesized that natural selection can contribute to reproductive isolation of incipient species.
Alfred Wallace co-discovered the theory of evolution with Charles Darwin.
What does the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation describe?
Genotypic frequency in a population.
Can be used to determine if the genetic makeup of a population is changing.
What are the five criteria that must be met for a population to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
- Random mating
- Large population size
- No migration between populations
- No mutations
- No natural selection
What does the equation 𝑝+𝑞=1 represent in the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium equation?
The sum of probabilities of passing on the dominant and recessive alleles.
What does the equation 𝑝2+2𝑝𝑞+𝑞2=1 represent in the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium equation?
The probabilities of different genotype combinations in the population.
How do you calculate Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
To calculate Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, first find the frequency of a recessive genotype and set this equal to q^2. Square root both sides to get the frequency of passing on a recessive allele, q. Use the equation p + q = 1 to get p, the probability of passing the dominant allele. Then use p and q to find p^2, the homozygous dominant genotype frequency, and 2pq, the heterozygous genotype frequency.
What is artificial selection?
The biological process of humans selecting preferred visible traits in plants and animals and then creating a breeding program to produce offspring with those desired traits.
Artificial selection leads to adapting organisms to human needs and improving them faster than natural selection.
Examples:
- Domestication of dogs from wolves.
- Corn from teosinte.
- Breeding of fainting or myotonic goats in the United States.