Adpatation Flashcards
adaptation (2)
- a trait, or integrated suite of traits, that enables (or enhances the probability of) an organism to survive and reproduce
- outcome of evolution by natural selection
how do you begin testing adaptive hypotheses? (3)
- state your question(s) clearly
- state your hypotheses
- design a study that allows you to discriminate among your hypotheses
what kind of studies can be conducted? (3)
- manipulative experiments
- observational studies
- comparative studies (the “comparative method”)
examples of manipulative experiments (2)
- lizard fever study
- tephritid fly mimicry
tephritid fly mimicry
- question: what is the function of the wing markings and wing-waving display of the tephritid fly Zonosemata?
- based on this question, what are the three hypotheses?
- tephritid flies don’t mimic jumping spiders. Patterns and behaviours are just coincidental.
- tephritid flies mimic jumping spiders, but to deter other nonspider predators.
- tephritid flies mimic jumping spiders to avoid predation by jumping spiders.
what are the controls for the tephritid fly experiment? (3)
- tephritid fly untreated
- tephritid fly with wings cut and glued back on
- house fly untreated
what are the experimental groups for the tephritid fly experiment? (2)
- tephritid fly with house fly wings
- house fly with tephritid fly wings
under hypothesis 1: tephritid flies don’t mimic jumping spiders. Patterns and behaviours are just coincidental, what is expected to be seen?
- all flies are attacked by both the jumping spiders and other predators
under hypothesis 2: tephritid flies mimic jumping spiders, but to deter other nonspider predators, what is expected to be seen? (2)
- other predators will retreat from the tephritid fly untreated and the tetraphid fly with its wing cut and glued back on
- jumping spiders will attack all groups and other predators will attack all other groups
under hypothesis 3: tephritid flies mimic jumping spiders to avoid predation by jumping spiders, what is expected to be seen? (2)
- jumping spiders will retreat from untreated tephritid flies and tephritid flies with their wings cut and glued back on
- jumping spiders will attack all other groups and other predators will attack all groups
what components are necessary for manipulative experiments? (4)
- control
- replicate
- randomize
- perform experiments “blind” to avoid biases and subjectivity
examples of observational studies (2)
- Grant’s Galapagos finches study
- Garter snake thermoregulation
Garter snake thermoregulation experiment
- question: do Garter snakes make adaptive choices when choosing a night-retreat
- what are the 2 hypotheses based on this question?
- Garter snakes choose medium-sized rocks that allow optimal thermoregulation
- (null) Garter snakes take whatever rock is available
Garter snake thermoregulation experiment
- If under the Hypothesis 1: Garter snakes choose medium-sized rocks that allow optimal thermoregulation and ~30% of all rock types available, what are the expected results? (3)
- <33% choose thin rocks
- > > > > 33% choose medium rocks
- <33% choose large rocks
Garter snake thermoregulation experiment
- If under the Hypothesis 2: (null) Garter snakes take whatever rock is available and ~30% of all rock types available, what are the expected results? (3)
- ~33% choose small rocks
- ~33% choose medium rocks
- ~33% choose large rocks
what are the potential drawbacks of observational studies? (2)
- many confounding variables
- cannot conclude causation, only correlation
confounding variable
- variable that influence both independent and dependent variable, causing an association