Evolution of Ecology

Question 1

What does natural selection act on

Answer 1

The phenotypes

Question 2

What is population genetics

Answer 2

The changes in gene frequencies in populations

Question 3

Molecular evolution is

Answer 3

the history of life recorded in DNA sequence

Question 4

Systematics is

Answer 4

The evolutionary relationship between species

Question 5

Palaeontology is

Answer 5

Macro evolution

Question 6

Evolutionary ecology is

Answer 6

Phenotypes and reproductive success

Question 7

How is phenotype linked to natural selection

Answer 7

We inherit genes
Natural selection can select for a gene but then gene itself is not the object of selection
Genes themselves are invisible to selection but the protein coded by the genes influences the phenotype of the individual
Selection acts on phenotypes not genotypes

Question 8

What is natural selection

Answer 8

The differential reproductive success of individuals due to differences in their phenotypes

Question 9

What is a phenotype

Answer 9

Sum of the biological, physiological, morphological and behavioural characteristic of an individual

Question 10

What life history strategies influence reproductive success

Answer 10

Age and size at maturity
Number and size of offspring
Sex allocation
Lifespan

Question 11

What behaviour ecologies influence reproductive success

Answer 11

Mate choice
Parental care
Foraging
Resource competition

Question 12

Who came up with the extended phenotype

Answer 12

Richard Dawkins

Question 13

What is the extended phenotype

Answer 13

The main idea is that the phenotype should not be limited to biological processes but should include all the effects it has on its environment inside and outside of the organisms

Question 14

How does natural selection act in correlation to the extended phenotype

Answer 14

Natural selection does not act directly on physiology or morphology, it acts on behaviour which Richard Dawkins calls the extended phenotype

Question 15

What is behaviour

Answer 15

The sum of the responses of an organism to internal and external stimuli
Can be learnt or innate

Question 16

What were tinbergens four questions for behaviour

Answer 16

Control - how does it work?
Ontogeny - how did t develop
Function - what is it for?
Evolution - how did it evolve

Question 17

What causes aggressive behaviour in male three spines sticklebacks

Answer 17

Seeing a red underside - visual cue

Question 18

How do blue jays know not to eat monarch butterflies

Answer 18

Learnt behaviour- eat then realise it’s gross spit them out and know not to do it again

Question 19

What is fitness

Answer 19

A measure of the number of genes contributed to the next generation by an individual

Question 20

How is fitness often measured

Answer 20

Relative lifetime reproductive success

Question 21

What does a large repertoire size in male sedge warblers suggest

Answer 21

They’ve lived longer and are stronger

Question 22

How do belastomatid bugs show parental care

Answer 22

Male swims with eggs in their back - back brooding

Egg guarding

Question 23

Why do male fiddler crabs with their claws

Answer 23

Wave bigger claw to attract female - bigger claw higher reproductive success

Wave bigger claw to defend its borrow from rival males

Species recognition

Question 24

How does the Chela of Uca crabs change throughout their life

Answer 24

Juveniles - claws of equal weight (8% of body)
Male adult - major chela grows more rapidly to form 38% of body weight
Female adult - claws remain 8% of body weight

Question 25

Why do male fiddler crabs wave their major chela for species recognition

Answer 25

Not all species wave their claws in the same way or have the same coloured claws

Question 26

Ocypodidae

Answer 26

Family name for fiddler crabs

Question 27

Uca

Answer 27

Genus name for fiddle crabs

Question 28

Decapoda

Answer 28

Order name for fiddle crabs