Evolution Chapter 7.2 Flashcards
What is natural selection?
Process by which characteristics of a population change over multiple generations as individuals survive environmental conditions and pass the allele to the next generation
What must occur to have natural selection?
Diversity within a species
What is selective pressure?
Environmental conditions select characteristics for an individual and select against different characteristics in other individuals
Does natural selection have a purpose?
No, it is situational
Why is natural selection situational? (3 points)
- Does not anticipate change in environment
- In different situations, natural selection will help a population survive and reproduce
- Allele for trait will be inherited by offspring
What is high fitness?
Organism with many viable offspring
What is low fitness?
Organism with few or no viable offspring
What is fitness?
Contribution that an individual makes to the gene pool to allow their offspring to survive and reproduce
What is artificial selection?
Selective pressure by humans on a population to modify traits that are more desirable to us
What is artificial selection a form of?
Biotechnology
What is biotechnology?
Combines technology and organisms to produce useful products
Difference between natural selection and artificial selection?
Environment plays the role that humans play in artificial selection
Negative effects of artificial selection?
The characteristics artificially bred may develop problems that do not benefit the individuals well being
What is monoculture?
Same varieties of species planted on large portions of land
Cons of monoculture?
If there is disease, it could spread through the whole crop
