Biological Evolution Flashcards
Factors that can play a role in how species change over time
Mutation
Genetic drift
Migration
Gene flow
How does natural selection and evolution relate to one another?
Evolution is a result of natural selection
Phenotype
Variation among different individuals in a population
Most important cause of evolutionary change
Natural selection
Natural selection produces and evolutionary change among
Entire populations
How can natural selection affect the frequency of occurrence of traits in a population over many generations
Nature selects for the best trait & there for the frequency of traits (alleles) change based on the environment
Divergent evolution
The process where organisms within a species become very different and no longer interbreed. Each species evolves and continues to change over time
Divergent evolution example
Bird wing and whale flipper
Convergent evolution definition
The process where unrelated species become more and more similar in appearance as they adapt to the same kind of environment
Convergent evolution example
Dolphin and shark
Coevolution definition
The process where two unrelated species become so dependent on each other that they cannot survive and reproduce successfully without each other
Convergent evolution example
Predator and prey
Adaptive radiation
Rapid development from a single ancestral species many new species
