a4.1 (natural selection) Flashcards
define speciation
the process by which a population of one species diverges to become two distinct species
allopatric speciation vs sympatric speciation
allo = populations become geographically separated
symp = can occur within the same geographic area
3 steps to allopatric speciation
- populations begin to be geographically separated (eg. uplift of land, the movement of a glacier, or formation of a body of water)
- two populations independently evolve, accumulating different gene mutations and being subjected to different selective pressures
- the populations evolve to the point of not being able to interbreed and exchange genes. they are now separate species according to the biological species concept
example of allopatric speciation - panama and atlantic porkfish
panama and atlantic porkfish being separated by the isthmus of panama (the narrow strip of land above coloumbia and below costa rica formed by tectonic plate movement)
example of allopatric speciation - squirrels
kaibab (north of canyon) and abert’s (south of canyon, original species) squirrel in the colorado plateau in the grand canyon
how are groups separated sympatric speciation
groups are separated by differences in behavior or timing of life cycles
define polyploidy
another cause of sympatric speciation that is common in plants
when does behavioural isolation occur? & examples of how this may occur
when a behavior prevents reproduction between individuals.
for example, different individuals may have different preferences for breeding calls, mating dances, pheromones, or feeding locations within a habitat.
example of behavioural sympatric speciation - cichlid
(2 species names & changes)
littoral vs benthic cichlid fish (tanzania)
body color, shape, size, jaw & tooth structure
females preferentially mating with males that are more similar to themselves
separating as bottom vs top feeders
example of behavioural sympatric speciation - killer whales (2 species names & differences)
resident vs biggs killer whales
resident killer whales maintain tight-knit family pods and prey on salmon and other marine fish.
bigg’s killer whales roam in smaller groups, preying on other marine mammals such as seals and whales
example of temporal sympatric speciation - palm trees (2 species names & cause of speciation)
in australia (lord howe island)
howea forsteriana & howea belmoreana
speciation due to a substantial disjunction in flowering time
example of temporal sympatric speciation - cicadas (2 species names & cause of speciation)
in eastern united states
m. tredicim & m. septendecim
m. tredecim emerge every 13 years, while adults of m. septendecim emerge every 17 years
define species biodiversity
the number and relative abundance of species found in an area
define ecological niche
the role of a species in an ecosystem
4 characteristics of an ecological niche
the abiotic environmental conditions a species can tolerate (i.e. temperature, precipitation and terrain)
the biotic interactions a species has with other species (i.e. competition, predation and mutualism)
the activity pattern of the species (i.e. nocturnal, diurnal or crepuscular)
how the species obtains energy and nutrients from the environment (what and how it eats)
define adaptive radiation
a pattern of speciation in which many species rapidly evolve from a common ancestor to occupy a range of vacant ecological niches (a source of considerable biodiversity)
natural selection results in multiple related species exhibiting different ________, ________ and ________ adaptations to the new niches.
morphological, physiological, behavioral
how may niches become available? x2
mass extinctions leave behind a host of empty niches. any remaining species can rapidly evolve to fill the niches without competition from the other (now-extinct) species.
because new species rarely make it to isolated islands, the few pioneering species that first arrive and colonize find a wide-open ecosystem with many niche vacancies and lack of competition with other species for available resources.
how did dinosaur extinction impact adaptive radiation of mammals (before & after)? what did this lead to?
before the extinction, mammals were small and occupied few ecological niches
after the extinction, mammals evolved and adapted to the the newly available niches with few competitors for resources
this led to a “sudden” expansion of species diversity, including the first fully aquatic mammals, flying mammals, rodents and primates
what were cynodonts (200+ million years ago)
a group of mammal-like reptiles
3 characteristics of the early true mammals (~175 million years ago)
mainly small insect-eating creatures
adapted to nighttime activity
ranged in size from scarcely bigger than a bumblebee to squirrel-sized (keeping out of the way of the predatory dinosaurs)
3 mamillian groups at ~140 million years ago
monotremes (platypus and spiny anteater), which lay eggs externally
marsupials (kangaroos, opossums), which carry their young in a pouch
placental mammals (humans, cows, horses), which retain the fetus internally during long gestation period
what was the dinosaur extinction called? how many species of earth did it elimintate?
the cretaceous–paleogene
killed ~three-quarters of the plant & animal species