Chapter 4/5 Vocabulary Flashcards
Biological Evolution
The process whereby earth’s life changes over time through changes in the genetic characteristics of populations.
Fossils
Mineralized or petrified replicas of skeletons, bones, teeth, shells, leaves, and seeds, or impressions of such items found in rocks.
Adaptation
Any heritable trait that improves the ability of an individual organism to survive and to reproduce at a higher rate than other individuals in a population are able to do under prevailing environmental conditions.
Geographic isolation
Different groups of the same population of a species become physically isolated from one another for a long period of time.
Reproductive isolation
Mutation and change by natural selection operating independently in the gene pools of geographically isolated populations.
Endemic species
Species only found in only one area.
Ecological niches
A species’ way of life in a community and includes everything that affects its survival and reproduction.
Generalist species
- live mainly in different places
- eat a variety of foods
- tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions
Specialist species
- live only in a specific habitat
- use one type of food
- tolerate narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions
Indicator species
Species that provide early warnings of damage to a community or an ecosystem
Keystone species
Species whose roles have a large effect on the types and abundance of other species in an ecosystem
Parisitism
Interaction between species in which one organism (parasite) preys on another organism (host).
Mutualism
Types of species interaction in which both participating species generally benefit.
Commensalism
An interaction between organisms of different species in which one type of organism benefits and the other type is neither helped nor harmed to any great degree.
Resource partitioning
Process of dividing up resources in an ecosystem so that species with similar needs use the same scarce resources at different times, ways, or places.
Coevolution
Evolution in which two or nor species interact and exert selective pressures on each other that can lead each species to undergo adaptations.
Range of tolerance
Range of chemical and physical conditions that must be maintained for populations of a particular species to stay alive and grow, develop, and function normally.
Limiting factors
Single factor that limits:
- growth
- abundance
- distribution of the population of a species in an ecosystem
Carrying capacity
Maximum population of a particular species that a given habitat can support over a given period.
Primary succession
Gradual establishment of biotic communities in lifeless areas where there is no soil in a terrestrial ecosystem or no bottom sediment in an aquatic ecosystem.
Secondary succession
A series of communities or ecosystems with different species develop in places containing soil or bottom sediment.
