Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Biology

Question 1

What does evolutionary ecology examine?

Answer 1

Evolutionary ecology examines how interactions between and within species evolve.

Question 2

What does conservation biology deal with?

Answer 2

Conservation biology deals with threats to biodiversity and with preserving the biological and genetic diversity of animals and plants.

Question 3

Explain the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Answer 3

– A better-adapted organism would acquire more
resources and leave more offspring
– Nature “selects” individuals with traits that
allow them to flourish and reproduce. This idea
came to be known as survival of the fittest
Over long periods of time, natural selection leads
to adaptation
– Over an evolutionary time span, a population’s
characteristics change making its members
better suited to their environment.

Question 4

Why can small populations reduce population health

through loss of genetic diversity?

Answer 4

Because individuals of small accumulate harmful mutations.

Question 5

Name the four patterns of natural selection.

Answer 5

1. Directional
2. Stabilizing
3. Balancing
4. Disruptive

Question 6

Describe the two main mechanisms of speciation.

Answer 6

Allopatric and Sympatric speciations.

Question 7

What are the seven factors affecting a species’ sensitivity to
extinction?

Answer 7

1. Rarity
2. Dispersal ability
3. Degree of specialization
4. Population variability
5. Feeding level
6. Life span
7. Reproductive ability

Question 8

Name gene mutations.

Answer 8

Base submission (1 amino acid is changed);

Addition (or deletion) of a single base (different amino acid sequence)

Question 9

Name chromosome mutations.

Answer 9

Deletion,
duplication,
inversion,
translocation.

Question 10

What is effective population size?

Answer 10

Effective population size is the number of individuals that contribute genes to future populations.