exam 1 Flashcards
what is a reaction norm?
describes the sensitivity of an organism or multiple organisms of the same genotype to some specific environmental factor
what are the 6 main components of the scientific paradigm shift discussed in class?
-earth is old
-change is gradual
-species evolve from other species
-species evolve and go extinct
-variation permits selection
-hypothesis generation/testing
What is Maria Sibylla Merian known for?
one of the first true ecologists/entomologists, systemic study of insects and their life cycles, art of plants/insects
What theory is Mary Anning known for?
species go extinct
What theories are associated with Charles Lyell?
patterns we can observe now explain the past, catastrophism vs uniformitarianism, change is gradual
Who was Georges Cuvier?
father of paleontology, extinction occurs, comparative anatomy of vertebrates, opposed ideas that organisms evolved
Who was Thomas Malthus?
theory of populations, populations show geometric growth, food supply show proportional growth, only so many resources to go around
What did Carl Linneas develop?
binomial nomenclature
What was Jean Lamarck known for?
theory of acquired characteristics, law of use/disuse, species change overtime to fit their environment,
Who was Charles Darwin?
naturalist on the ‘beagle’ right after grad school and studied ‘Darwins Finches’ on the Galapagos, developed theories about evolution, descent with modification, evolution by natural selection
Who was Alfred Russel Wallace?
similar ideas to Darwin, evolution by natural selection
Who was Gregor Mendel?
father of genetics, breed peas, develop punnet squares
What is catastrophism?
earth features change quickly assuming earth is young
what is uniformitarianism?
gradual forces now were also gradual in the past
What were the two major hypotheses proposed by Darwin?
-Organisms have descended with modifications from common ancestors
-modification is natural selection acting on hereditary variation
What is the definition of natural selection?
process where individuals with certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than those without those traits
what is fitness?
number of offspring an individual leaves in the next generation & ability to survive and reproduce
What is artificial selection?
human chooses beneficial traits and discards those that are considered undesirable; produces new varieties from a single domesticated species
What is the ‘selective agent’ in natural selection?
nature
What is meant by hierarchal patterns of similarity when referencing phylogenies?
groups of species form hierarchal patterns of similarity (groups within groups) that share a common ancestor
What are the major components of the Modern Synthesis?
-variation is produced by sexual reproduction and mutation
-genetic variation produces phenotypic differences
-natural selection can only operate on variable phenotypes
-randomness/genetic drift can also influence gene frequencies
-complex trait evolution is the product of multiple genes
what is independent progression?
organisms have an innate tendency to evolve in a linear fashion
How does natural selection proceed?
operates on phenotypes
What properties of an organism does natural selection operate on?
variation, dominance, mutations can be inherited
at what scale does evolution occur?
large scale… over the course of populations
What is a reaction norm?
describes the sensitivity of an organism or multiple organisms of the same genotype to some specific environmental factor