textbook vocab Flashcards
ecology
the study of interactions between organisms and their physical and living environment
proximate factors
direct cause of a biological process/phenomenon
ultimate factors
the deeper cause of a phenomenon that explains when it occurs
organismal level
level in their hierarchy of biology pertaining to the individual
population ecology
study of the interactions between a group of individuals of a given species and their environment
ecological community
a group of coexisting species
ecosystem
all the biotic and abiotic components of a community
biosphere/ecosphere
all ecosystems on Earth
biotic
biological factors (predation or competition)
abiotic
physical factors (temperature or pH)
environmental science
the study of humans’ impact on the environment
adaptation
a trait or characteristic that increases an individual’s fitness in a specific environment
evolutionary fitness
an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce as determined by its characteristics
selection pressure
biotic and abiotic environmental factors that determine fitness
homeostasis
regulatory mechanisms that help an organism stay within a given set of biological parameters/limits
who can have fitness?
only individuals
predictions
a result or observation that we can expect if the hypothesis is true
falsifiable
trait of a good hypothesis that allows for data/observation to prove it is incorrect
adaptations are ___ created
evolutionarily
what did Darwin establish?
natural selection as a mechanism for evolution via adaptation to promote evolutionary fitness
natural selection occurs to ___
populations! (NOT INDIVIDUALS)
p =
dominant allele
q =
recessive allele
evolution
changes in allele frequency
HW equilibrium (math)
p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1.0
when is HW equilibrium applicable?
when no mutations or gene flow occur, when the population is infinitely large, and when there are no advantageous genotypes
genetic drift
random change in allele frequency
gene flow
net movement of alleles because of individuals’ movement
s
selection coefficient, proportion of a specific genotype not represented in the next generation
directional stability
favoring one side of the phenotypic bell curve
stabilizing selection
intermediate trait is favored in phenotypic bell curve
evolutionary trade-offs
when a given characteristic has fitness advantages, but also costs
disruptive selection
favoring of outer tails of phenotypic bell curve, against intermediate traits
why is genetic drift not darwinian?
occurs by chance, not because of natural selection
chronic genetic drift can lead to …
allele loss and fixedness
gene flow can do what to natural selection?
promote or slow the process and incoming/outgoing individuals alter allele frequencies
phenotypic plasticity
ability of organisms to present different phenotypes in different environments
heritability
cause of phenotypic variation because of genetic differences between individuals
rate of evolution is determined by …
changes in character over time
strong selective pressures can lead to ___ and eventually ___
more distinct local changes in species and an ecotype
ecotype
genetically distinct population that has adapted to a local environment
red queen hypothesis
theory that an organism’s environment is constantly changing faster than it can adapt via natural selection
limits of natural selection
physical and chemical limitations (like size)
evolutionary landscape
3D model of fitness and particular genotypes that identify best genotypes for evolutionary fitness by tallest peaks
