Final Review

Question 1

1. What is the central dogma of biology?

Answer 1

The central dogma of biology is the creation of proteins from genes.

Question 2

Be able to describe the process of transcription and translation.

Answer 2

DNA is read and RNA is formed (transcription) in the nucleus
RNA is read by the ribosome and creates a protein (translation) in the cytoplasm
- codons are read by the ribosome 3-at-a-time starting with the start codon AUG
- tRNA carries amino acids to codons

Question 3

2. From a molecular perspective, how does evolution occur?

Answer 3

• Through mutations, errors in the transcription or translation of genetic code

Question 4

3. Forces of Evolution

Answer 4

a. mutation – only source of variation
b. genetic drift – changes by random chance in small pops, can be caused by founder or bottleneck effects
c. Gene flow – movements of genes from one pop to another
d. Non-random mating – certain genotypes are more likely to mate than others
e. Selection – the result of differential fitness, artificial and natural

Question 5

4. 3 conditions for natural selection

Answer 5

a. Phenotypic variation must exist
b. variation results in different reproductive success
c. variation must be genetically inherited

Question 6

5. What is fitness?

-

Answer 6

The ability to pass on genes

Question 7

6. Hardy-Weinberg assumptions

Answer 7

1. Population is large
2. Random mating occurs
3. No mutation takes place
4. No migration happens
5. No selection occurs

Question 8

7. Inbreeding depression – types

Answer 8

Close breeding: This is most intensive breeding where animals are very closely related and can be traced back to more than one common ancestor.

Line breeding: Mating animals that are more distantly related which can be traced back to one common ancestor

Question 9

8. Allopatric vs sympatric speciation

Answer 9

Allopatric speciation occurs when a pop becomes isolated into two pops occupying different areas
Sympatric speciation occurs when a pop speciates in the same geographic location

Question 10

10. Be able to describe each type of mating system (monogamy, polygamy, promiscuity, etc.)

Answer 10

Monogamy – a breeding pair stays together for a breeding season or for life
Polygamy – an individual mates with several others
Polygyny – male mates with several females
Polyandry – female mates with several males
Promiscuity – both individuals mate with several others (no pair bonds)

Question 11

11. 6 types of interspecific interactions

a.

Answer 11

Mutualism (++)

b. Parasitism / predation (+-)
c. commensalism (+0)
d. competition (–)
e. ammensalism (0-)
f. Neutralism (00)

Question 12

12. Plant and animal antipredator adaptations

Answer 12

a. Plant:
i. thorns
ii. silica
iii. tannins
b. Animal
i. teeth
ii. spines
iii. cryptic coloration (camouflage)
iv. aposematic coloration (warning)
v. mimicry (batesian and mullerian)

Question 13

13. 3 types of competition

a.

Answer 13

exploitative – a race to the resource

b. interference – directly inhibiting a competitor
c. apparent – competition facilitated by a third species

Question 14

14. What are the benefits / costs of living in a group?

Answer 14

a. Benefits:
i. survival
ii. obtaining food easier
iii. mating easier
b. Costs
i. competition
ii. predation

Question 15

15. Be able to define kin selection theory and inclusive fitness

Answer 15

Kin selection theory states that an individual is more likely to display altruistic behavior towards individuals it is related to
Inclusive fitness = individual fitness + fitness of relatives

Question 16

16. Types of interspecific and intraspecific forms of communication

Answer 16

Smell – pheromone communication
Sound – can travel long distances
Vision – short distances
tactile – grooming 
Signaling (to) predators
Foraging communication

Question 17

17. Dominance behavior and group hierarchies

Answer 17

Dominant males will have the most access to food and females

Sneaker males pretend to be females to mate with them

Question 18

18. Ultimate vs proximate causes of behavior

Answer 18

Proximate cause of dispersal – forced out by parents, involuntary response to increased testosterone

Ultimate cause – increase fitness by avoiding inbreeding depression

Question 19

19. Be able to define ideal free distribution

Answer 19

Ideal free distribution - The higher quality breeding ground will have the highest destiny, the lower quality patch will be less densely populated

It is better to be the first aphid on a smaller leaf than the fifth aphid on the largest

Question 20

Be able to define Homing, station keeping, ranging, migration, and dispersal

Answer 20

a. homing – the process of getting back to a home range
b. station keeping – normal movements within the home range
c. migration – persistent movement across the landscape in response to seasonal changes
d. dispersal – movement from a natal site to a site where repro occurs

Question 21

21. Why do males disperse more frequently than females in mammals?

Answer 21

Because males have more competition in the dominance hierarchy (polygyny)

Question 22

22. Mule deer dispersal and migration

Answer 22

Males do not disperse more than females do
Exhibit many kinds of migration:
 Residents – do not migrate
 stopover migrant – stops in another range on the way to migration zone
 direct migrant – does not stop on the way
 Brief migrant
 Asynchronous migrant – migrates at an unusual time
 gradual migrant – gradually makes its way to migration range
 commuting migrant – makes more than one trip in a year
 multi-range (1 trip)
 multi-range (>1 trip)

Question 23

23. Why does migration occur?

Answer 23

Proximate cause of dispersal – forced out by parents, involuntary response to increased testosterone

Ultimate cause – increase fitness by avoiding inbreeding depression

Or to find resources depending on the season

Question 24

24. 4 ways that animals orient themselves

-

Answer 24

Path integration

• landmarks or piloting
• celestial cues
• magnetic compass

Question 25

26. Interoparous vs semelparous reproduction

Answer 25

Semelparous – one repro event before death

iteroparous – multiple repro events

Question 26

27. Metatherian vs eutherian reproduction

Answer 26

Metatharian – embryonic marsupial is born very early and fully develops in pouch
Eutherian – embryo develops longer in uterus and Is born more developed

Question 27

28. Be able to describe Bateman’s Gradient

Answer 27

as a result of being anisogamous (different-sized gametes) males have a different investment in reproduction. Males have greater variation in reproductive success.

Poor quality females will be more successful than poor quality males

High quality males will be more successful than high-quality females

Question 28

29. What is the Trivers-Willard Hypothesis?

Answer 28

a. females are able to adjust offspring sex ratio in response to maternal condition.

Question 29

30. What is the relationship between body condition and maternal investment in offspring?

Answer 29

a. The better the body condition, the greater the maternal investment in offspring

Question 30

31. Specifically how this might change depending on the sex of offspring.

Answer 30

• Greater parental investment in males offspring by parents in good condition and greater investment in female offspring by parents in poor condition

Question 31

32. Be able to describe convergent and divergent evolution

Answer 31

Convergent – the independent evolution of similar traits among unrelated species in different areas or different periods of time. CE creates Analogous Structures.
Divergent – the process whereby groups from the same common ancestor accumulate different traits or diverge in character.