Population genetics flashcards #2
Use vocabulary to show your understanding.
What can be said about ear size between the African and Asian elephants?
African elephants have much large ears than Asian elephants.
Whicn elephant species lives closer to the equator?
African
What can be said about surface area, in regards to heat?
Higher surface area, more heat is lost.
Why did the evolution of the African elephant select for larger ears?
Answer should include heat lost.
One would say that the African and Asian elephants are extant relatives, what does the word extant mean?
closest living relative
If an Asian elephant and African Elephant lived in the same habitat in a zoo, should a zookeeper be worried they will produce offspring?
No, different species has little reproductive success, even if successful their babies will be sterile.
One would expect a human living near or at the equator to have more/less skin exposed to the environment than someone at the north pole? Why?
More, to release more heat from the body.
Evolution occurs because a trait is
selected for, it is beneficial to the reproductive success of an organism.
How does African elephants having larger ears benefit the reproductive success of the species.
Because they stay cooler, they do not die of heat related illness, this allows them to live longer, reproduce more and pass on the big ear trait.
