Evolution Flashcards
Define species
A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile and viable offspring
Define population
A group of individuals of the same species in the same defined geographical area that interbreed.
Define mutation
An alteration in the DNA sequence of an organism
Define gene pool
the complete set of alleles present in a population
Define allele frequency
The proportion of one allele in a gene pool
State four factors that affect genetic diversity
Population size
Inbreeding
Migration
Natural disaster
Define high biological fitness
Individuals are more likely to survive, reproduce and pass on their alleles to offspring
Which levels of classification are used for the binomial name of a species
Genus and species
State the eight levels of classification from most broad to least
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
species
Define evolution
A change in allele frequency over time
Define selection pressure
A factor in an organism’s environment that removes unsuited individuals from a population.
Give an example of a selection pressure
Competition for resources
Predation
Something that creates a difference between fit and unfit individuals
Define selective advantage
The characteristic of an organism that gives an organism a greater chance of surviving and reproducing
Give an example of a seleective advantage
One colour variation is better able to camouflage from predators and escape being eaten
Faster individuals are more successful at hunting
What is the pneumonic to remember the process of Natural Selection
VAST SEINE
What is the scaffold sentence for VA in VAST SEINE when explaining natural selection?
VA – There is variation in the phenotypes in the ……………… population as …………
What is the scaffold sentence for ST in VAST SEINE when explaining natural selection?
ST – All organisms face a daily struggle to survive and reproduce. The ……..…….. struggle because of the……………………………selection pressure
What is the scaffold sentence for SE in VAST SEINE when explaining natural selection?
SE – The …………………………….. have a selective advantage as……………
What is the scaffold sentence for IN in VAST SEINE when explaining natural selection?
IN – The organisms that have a selective advantage (………………..), survive, reproduce and their offspring inherit the alleles for the trait of………………….
What is the scaffold sentence for E in VAST SEINE when explaining natural selection?
E – Evolution occurs by natural selection and there is a change in allele frequency over time and the ………..… population becomes better suited to its environment.
Define Speciation
Speciation: The evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species
What is the scaffold for an allopatric speciation question?
Two populations of ______ are geographically isolated by a permanent geographical barrier of _______.
There are different selection pressures acting on each population of ________.
Mutations accumulate over many generations in each population.
Eventually they can no longer interbreed to produce fertile and viable offspring and would be considered 2 separate species.
Define divergent evolution
The accumulation of differences between closely related populations within a species, leading to speciation.
Define homologous structures
Similar physical features in organisms that share a common ancestor, but the features may serve completely different functions.
