Definitions

Question 1

Adaptation

Answer 1

A change of an organism or species that makes it more suited to its circumstances.

Question 2

Allele

Answer 2

A copy or variant of a gene at a specific gene locus

Question 3

Chromosome

Answer 3

A structure formed of DNA and proteins.

Question 4

Fecundity

Answer 4

The number of gametes produced by an organism.

Question 5

Fitness

Answer 5

A measure of the relative ability of an organism to survive and reproduce offspring that themselves can survive and have offspring.

Question 6

Locus

Answer 6

The location of a gene on a chromosome

Question 7

Natural selection

Answer 7

The process that causes evolutionary change.

Individuals with a genetically driven characteristic that increases the liklihood of them surviving and reproducing have a higher chance of passing that characteristic to successive generations, therefore it becomes more common in the population over time.

Question 8

Altruism

Answer 8

Acting in the interest of others.

Question 9

Angiosperms

Answer 9

A clade of plants that flower.

Question 10

Apterygota

Answer 10

Wigless insects

Question 11

Batesian mimicry

Answer 11

Mimicry in which a non-toxic species mimics and toxic one - benefits from reduced predation

Question 12

Beltian bodies

Answer 12

Detachable end of some acacia’s leaves that are rich in proteins, lipids, and sugars.

Question 13

Clade

Answer 13

All living and extinct descendants of a common ancestor.

Question 14

Coevolution

Answer 14

Evolution changes in one taxonomic group and a second group influencing one another.

Question 15

Convergent evolution

Answer 15

Similar characteristics in organisms that develop independently from one another.

Question 16

Domatia

Answer 16

A structure produced by plants that can act as specialised homes for insects.

Question 17

Domicile

Answer 17

Home

Question 18

Endopterygota

Answer 18

Winged insects where the wings develop internally

Question 19

Exopterygota

Answer 19

Winged insects where the wings develop externally

Question 20

Extrafloral nectaries (EFN)

Answer 20

Plant structures that provide nectar that are separate from the flowers.

Question 21

HI-VOC

Answer 21

Herbivore induced volatile organic compound

Question 22

Homoptera

Answer 22

Suborder of plant-feeding insects

Question 23

Hypogaeically

Answer 23

Underground

Question 24

Lineages

Answer 24

The hypothesised line of evolutional descent

Question 25

Mann-Whitney U-test

Answer 25

Test for significant difference between medians of two sample with no assumptions of distribution the samples.

Question 26

Mimicry

Answer 26

A species developing similar pattern or colour as seen in another species to warn off predators.

Question 27

Monophyletic

Answer 27

Group of organisms found within a single clad

Question 28

Mullerian mimicry

Answer 28

One toxic species mimicing another toxic species. Reinforces message of toxicity and reduces predation.

Question 29

Mutualism

Answer 29

An interaction between individuals in which both benefit.

Question 30

Null hypothesis

Answer 30

A statement used for investigations and experiments that hypothesises there will be no relationship or difference between variables.

Question 31

Omnivore

Answer 31

An organism that consumes primary producers AND consumers

Question 32

Paraphyletic

Answer 32

A taxonomic group that has one common ancestor but does not include all decendents of that ancestor

Question 33

Phylogeny

Answer 33

A diagram that shows evolutionary relationships between organisms

Question 34

Phytophagous

Answer 34

Herbivorous

Question 35

Procova (plural procoxae)

Answer 35

First segment of insect foreleg

Question 36

Pterygota

Answer 36

Winged insects

Question 37

Sclerotised

Answer 37

Hardened parts (like outside of beetle)

Question 38

Setae

Answer 38

Bristles

Question 39

Sister clades

Answer 39

Clades that emerge from the same branching event

Question 40

Speciation

Answer 40

The process of one species becoming two or more different species

Question 41

t-test

Answer 41

Statistical test to find out whether differences in two means from separate samples are significant. Assumes normally distributed data.

Question 42

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

Answer 42

Minimum metabolic rate of an endotherm

Question 43

Directional selection

Answer 43

Natural selection that favours one extreme of the phenotype range which shifts a population frequency curve for that characteristic in one direction

Question 44

Disruptive selection

Answer 44

Natural selection that favours both extremes of the phenotypic range which so individuals with intermediate values have lower fitness.

Question 45

Ectotherms

Answer 45

Organisms that rely on external heat sources to maintain body temperature

Question 46

Endotherms

Answer 46

Organisms that maintain their own body temperature usually through metabolism

Question 47

Facultative migration

Answer 47

When the pattern of migration and the proportion of individuals migrating in one populaton fluctuates from year to year. Usually short distances.

Question 48

Flyway

Answer 48

A long-distance migration corridor

Question 49

Homeostasis

Answer 49

The maintainence of a stable internal environment

Question 50

Homeotherms

Answer 50

Animsla that need a mostly uniform body temperature (older term used for endotherm)

Question 51

Irruptive migration

Answer 51

(Facultative migration) 'When the pattern of migration and the proportion of individuals migrating in one populaton fluctuates from year to year. Usually short distances.'

Question 52

Metabolic rate

Answer 52

Energy used by an organism per unit time

Question 53

Migratory inclination

Answer 53

The tendency of individuals to either migrate or remain sedentary

Question 54

Migratory restlessness

Answer 54

A behaviour seen by laboratory-kept birds that mimic their wild migratory behaviour.

Question 55

Negative feedback

Answer 55

A system in which a change in the output of the system is balanced by a restorative action.

Question 56

Obligate migration

Answer 56

Consistent migration pattern and behaviour, usually over long distances