The Theory of Evolution & Behavioural Genetics Flashcards
What is the purpose of the theory of evolution?
It explains similarities across different forms of life and changes that occur within populations.
How did Darwin form the theory of evolution?
He saw that the same species of bird had different beaks which suggested some kind of process (pressures of the environment)
What is variation in evolution?
Individuals are similar but not identical, minor variations in traits.
What is heredity in evolution?
Traits that humans possess that vary are inherited from parents to offspring.
What is competition in evolution?
Individuals and genes compete for scarce resources.
What is adaptive radiation?
An evolutionary process where life forms rapidly diversify from an ancestral species into new forms.
What is intrasexual selection?
Members of the same sex competing for members of the opposite sex.
What is intersexual selection?
Members of one sex choose mates of the other sex to mate with.
What are the properties of deoxyribonucleic acid?
Genetic material that resembles a double helix.
Consists of deoxyribose sugar, phosphoric acid and 1 of 4 base pairs.
What is the function of a gene?
A segment of DNA that occupies a specific site on a chromosome.
What is an allele?
A variation of a gene that affects the functionality of the protein produced by the gene.
What is zygosity?
The similarity of the alleles for a trait.
What is a mutation?
A random event/accident in gene reproduction.
