Adaptation, natural selection and, extinction Flashcards
What is Evolution?
The process of change over time, specifically a change in the frequency of a gene or allele in a population over time.
What is Natural Selection?
The process that explains how organisms survive and how species can change over time to adapt to the environment.
List the four steps of Natural Selection.
- Overproduction
- Variation
- Competition
- Selection
What is an adaptation?
A trait or behavior that helps an organism survive and reproduce.
True or False: Organisms are better able to survive if they can adapt to their environments.
True
Why is Variation important?
Because the environment changes; more variation increases the likelihood of survival.
What does the term ‘Survival of the fittest’ refer to?
The idea that individuals with the best traits/adaptations will survive and reproduce more than others.
What are Homologous Body Structures?
Similar anatomy in different types of animals because of a common ancestor.
What are Vestigial Organs?
Leftover traces of evolution that serve no purpose.
What evidence supports the theory of evolution?
- Fossil Record
- Homologous Body Structures
- Embryology
- Biochemical Evidence
What is Biodiversity?
The variation of taxonomic life forms for a given biome or ecosystem.
List some benefits of Biodiversity.
- Food and drink
- Medicines
- Industrial materials
- Ecological services
- Leisurely, cultural, and aesthetic values
What are some causes of Biodiversity Loss?
- Pollution
- Loss of tropical forest
- Spread of urban areas
- Warfare
- Large dam construction
- Road building
- Tourism
- Loss of traditional lifestyles
What are the consequences of Biodiversity Loss?
- Loss of food
- Decrease in biomass
- Collapse of food web
- Loss of keystone species
- Reduction of ecosystem efficiency and community productivity
- Loss of medicinal supplies
- Increased vulnerability of species to disease and predation
Fill in the blank: The ability to survive and reproduce is referred to as _______.
[fitness]
What happens when individuals have traits that are not well suited to their environment?
They either die or leave few offspring.
Define ‘Descent with Modification’.
Each living species has descended, with changes, from other species over time.
What is the role of competition in Natural Selection?
Individuals compete for limited resources such as food, water, space, and mates.
What is the significance of Darwin’s Finches in the study of evolution?
They exemplify how species adapt to their environments through natural selection.
What is Fitness in the context of Natural Selection?
The ability to survive and reproduce.
