Chapter 12.3 PP Flashcards
the union between genetics and evolution; predicated on genetic principles
The modern synthesis
Genes are segments of genetic material with information about what?
protein structure
Actions of proteins within an organism determine what?
Physical traits
Different versions of the same gene are alleles, and variation in physical traits is due to what?
variation in alleles
Different alleles for the same gene arise through what?
mutation
Half of the allele carried by a parent are passed to their offspring through their what?
egg and sperm
How many categories of common misunderstandings of natural selection?
3
The relationship between the individual and the population is a common misunderstanding of what?
natural selection
Th limitations on the traits that can be selected is a common misunderstanding of what?
natural selection
The ultimate result of selection is a common misunderstanding of what?
natural selection
“The Dodo was too stupid to adapt to human hunters, so it had to go extinct.”
A misunderstanding of Natural selection
Only traits that are present in the population can be selected for. The Dodo was not “stupid” or unworthy of survival; the population simply did not contain variants with hunter-avoiding traits.
Natural Selection
“Some animals are not adapted to their environments very well. For instance, if swallows were well adapted to North America, they wouldn’t have to migrate to the tropics every winter.”
A misunderstanding of Natural selection
Natural Selection doe not lead to some sort of idealized perfect state, There are always trade-offs between traits. A swallow is very well adapted to catching flying insects. Any swallow variant with physical changes that allow it to eat the seeds that are available in winter would be less able to catch flying insects. These variants would thus lose in the competition for food during the summer.
Natural Selection
“Only traits present in the population can be acted upon” this is an example of?
Subtleties of natural selection
