Chapter 3

Question 1

adaptation

Answer 1

Any heritable behavioural,
morphological or physiological trait, evolved by
natural selection*, that maintains or increases
fitness of the organism in prevailing environmental
conditions

Question 2

examples of adaptation

Answer 2

Opuntia polyacantha (plains pricklypear) is common in Western North
America, including the Canadian prairies:
1. Spines protect
against herbivores,
dissipate heat and
reflect radiation.
2. Succulent
stems store
water over dry
periods
3. CAM
photosynthesis
saves water

Question 3

what are some of adaptation that North American beaver requires?

Answer 3

1. Waterproof fur keeps the skin dry and warm
2. tail acts as rudder and enables to warn other beavers
3. teeth allow to cut wood for food, and build dams to allow winter survival

Question 4

t/f: An adaptive trait to certain conditions can be a disadvantage
under different conditions

Answer 4

true

Question 5

T/F: Warm and waterproof skin almost
led to extinction of beaver after Europeans arrived is an example of advantage of adaptation trait

Answer 5

false/ it is an example of disadvantage of adaptation

Question 6

Trade-off

Answer 6

An adaptive response to one environmental constraint
may be a disadvantage under other circumstances, thus an organism cannot have it all.

Question 7

what are some examples of trade-off?

Answer 7

• Waterproof fur of beavers almost lead to their
  extinction.
• Cacti tolerate drought, but are not competitive
  under productive conditions.

Question 8

T/F: based on evolution by natural selection Organisms are adapted
to the environment they live in,
otherwise they would not survive

Answer 8

True

Question 9

T/F: Species’ adaptation enables predictions about their occurrence

Answer 9

T

Question 10

T/F: Adaptation to harsh conditions usually means that the species is
less competitive under more productive conditions

Answer 10

True

Question 11

Fitness

Answer 11

Proportionate contribution of
an individual to future generations.
Fitness increases with the number of
surviving progeny

Question 12

T/F: Intraspecific
genetic variation
can be large

Answer 12

True

Question 13

what are some of the examples of genetic variation within one species as a result artificial selection by humans?

Answer 13

Brassica Oleracea: wild cabbage, Kale, Red cabbage, Cauliflower.

Question 14

t/f: Local adaptations within a species
result in ecotypes

Answer 14

true

Question 15

what are some different affects of natural selection?

Answer 15

1. Directional
2. Stabilizing
3. Disruptive

Question 16

T/F: Hand-raised blackbirds from urban populations
tolerate more stress than those of rural populations.
The difference is genetic

Answer 16

True

Question 17

Trade-off mitigation

Answer 17

The advantage of great nesting sites under highway
bridges is dampened by the disadvantage of an increased risk of death by
cars. This trade-off can be mitigated by increasing agility (shorter wings)

Question 18

convergent evolution

Answer 18

a result of adaptation to
similar environmental conditions

Question 19

T/F: Cacti (America) and Euphorbs (Africa) represent convergent
evolution to similar environmental conditions

Answer 19

True

Question 20

Divergent evolution

Answer 20

a result of adaptation to
different environmental conditions

Question 21

Allen’s rule

Answer 21

In homeothermic animals that are adapted to cold climates
the body surface area-to-volume ratio is lower (shorter
limbs, smaller bodily appendages) than in animals adapted
to warm climates

Question 22

Adaptive Radiation

Answer 22

Evolution of different species from a common
ancestor, all adapted to distinct features of the
environment, such as food items or habitat. Often found on islands, where a few individuals of
an newly arriving species evolve to several species,
filling the different available ecological niches