Exam 1 Flashcards
taxonomy
the science of classification
taxon
group of organisms in a taxonomy
Natural selection, these three things must be true:
- traits vary within a population
- traits are heritable
- individuals with traits that allow them to survive and reproduce pass those traits on to the next generation
evolution (Darwins defintion)
change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations
blending inheritance
after traits have been “blended”, all variation disappears (ex: mixing pink paint with pink paint only makes more pink paint)
genotype
genetic signal
phenotype
the physical expression of a genotype
evolution (modern day definition)
change in allele frequencies (genetic structure) of biological populations over successive generations
four forces of evolution
-mutation
-gene flow
-genetic drift
-natural selection
mutation
appearance of new alleles
gene flow
introduction of new alleles or change in allele frequencies from individuals outside population
genetic drift
-random changes in allele frequencies, usually at small population sizes
-two common types: bottleneck effect, founder effect
natural selection
differential reproductive success of phenotypes, which causes a change in allele frequencies
biological species concept
reproductively isolated breeding populations
morphological species concept
phenotypically distinct populations
ecological species concept
populations occupying distinct ecological niches
allopatric speciation
speciation through geographic isolation
sympatric speciation
speciation in the same geographic location
what is systematics
the field of Biology that reconstructs phylogeny and uncovers the pattern of events that led to the distribution and diversity of species
homologous characters
traits that were inherited from a common ancestor
analogous characters
similar structures that evolved independently
primitive traits
shared characters uninformative for sorting out relationships
derived traits
shared characters that evolved in the lineage leading up to a clade and sets members of that clade apart from others
what traits define a mammal?
sweat, sebaceous, and mammary glands
heterodont
multiple types of teeth
diphyodont
two sets of teeth
endothermy
body temperature regulation
what defines a primate?
-five-digit grasping hands and feet
-nails instead of claws
-postorbital bar
-forward facing eyes
-relatively large brains
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ecology
the study of the interrelationships of organisms with their environment and each other
ecological niche
the place an organism occupies within a community or ecosystem
primate groups can be driven by:
-protection from predators
-access to food
-access to mates
-assistance in caring for offspring
neocortex
portion of the brain where higher cognitive functions (e.g., attention, thought, perception, episodic memory) occur
frugivore
primates that eat mostly fruit
folivore
primates that eat mostly leaves
faunivore/insectivore
primates that eat insects or other animals
(ex: small vertebrates)
gummivore
primates that eat mostly gums or exudates
noyau
most primitive (common across mammals), males have ranges overlapping with several females
monogamy
pair group
polyandry
single reproducing female and several sexually
active males
polygyny
single reproducing male and several sexually
active females (adult males not living in mixed-sex groups
will form ‘bachelor groups’)
polyandrous
several sexually active males and females
fission-fusion
subgroups of individuals vary day- to-day and by activity (e.g., foraging)
