Evolutionary process Flashcards
What is the definition of the phenotype?
Physical traits
What is the definition of the genotype?
Genetic traits
How are the genotype and phenotype related within a population?
Genotype influences the phenotype but phenotype varies due to environmental factors
What is phenotypic plasticity?
Ability of genetically identical individuals to produce different phenotypes
What are the causes of phenotypic plasticity?
Acclimation, environmental factors, resource availability
How is evolution defined?
Lasting change in the genetic composition of a population
Are all traits heritable?
Not all traits are heritable
What does natural selection select?
Phenotypes that display useful characteristics, or adaptation to the abiotic/biotic environment
What are the three fundamental adaptations to environmental variability?
Genetic Specialization- certain genes are special for toxic environment
Phenotypic Plasticity- they change to match environment
Intermediate Phenotype- they do well in any environment
Which adaptation is the best response when there are reliable cues of environmental quality?
Phenotypic plasticity
Which adaptation is the best response when no reliable cues are available?
Intermediate phenotype
Which adaptation applies to the case of variation in heavy metal tolerance within populations?
Genetic Specialization
What experimental design is used to determine if different-looking plants in a population exhibit genetic differences of phenotypic plasticity?
Common Garden
