Ch03

Question 1

Define Natural Selection

Answer 1

Differential survival & reproduction of individuals that possess heritable characteristics. Acts on individuals, does not changes characteristic of individuals

Question 2

Define 3 conditions that needs to be met for natural selection

Answer 2

• Variation: Individuals in population differ from one another
• Inheritance: Some variation that are inherited by offspring from parents
• Differential reproductive success: Individuals with certain traits are more successful than others at surviving & reproducing in their environment

Question 3

What is one major sources of variation?

Answer 3

mutation

Question 4

Define evolution

Answer 4

Change in allele frequencies in a population over time

Question 5

To understand natural selection, what to we need to understand?

Answer 5

how interplay between genotype & environment determines phenotype

Question 6

Define norm of reaction

Answer 6

a curve that shows how expression of a genotype depends on environmental conditions

Question 7

Define adaptation

Answer 7

an inherited trait as a direct result of NS that makes an organism more fit to its environment primary for its present function

Question 8

Define exaptation

Answer 8

a trait that serves one purpose today, but evolved under different selection conditions & served a different function in the past

Question 9

Define Life history strategy

Answer 9

a species’ schedule & manner of investment in survival & reproduction

Question 10

Define Trade-off

Answer 10

a situation that prevents optimizing two different characters or two different aspect of a character at once

Question 11

Define Antagonistic pleiotropy

Answer 11

alleles that perform best in one set of conditions may perform worse in another

Question 12

Name Possible original functions of feathers

Answer 12

1) retaining heat,
2) shielding from sunlight
3) signaling
4) facilitating tactile sensation, as whiskers do
5) prey capture
6) defense
7) waterproofing