Unit 1 Flashcards by Sydney Lyons

About the course. . .

An introduction to ecological concepts, the theory of evolution, and the

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What are some terms associated with ecology?

Climate + biomes
Population
Community
Ecosystem

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What are the four mechanisms of evolution?

Natural selection
Genetic drift
Gene flow
Mutation

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Diversity of life is considered at these three levels

Genetic diversity
Species diversity
Ecosystem diversity

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What are the different types of kingdoms?

Bacteria & archaea
Protists
Fungi
Plants
Animals

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What is the taxonomic order?

Domain
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

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What makes up a scientific name?

Genus & species

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What are the core competencies of biology?

THE ABILITY TO
apply the process of science
use quantitative reasoning
use modeling and simulation
tap into the interdisciplinary nature of science
communicate and collaborate with other disciplines
understand the relationship between science and society

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What are the course goals of biology 221?

Understand and apply major concepts in ecology and evolution
Recognize and describe the diversity of life on Earth and interconnections among organisms
Utilize critical thinking to evaluate evidence fathered using the scientific method
Discuss the strengths and limitations of science
Understand the relationship between biology and society
Effectively communicate biological concepts and interpretations

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What are the core concepts for biological literacy?

Evolution
Structure & function
Information flow, exchange, and storage
Pathways and transformations of energy and matter
Systems

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What does the x-axis tell us?

The independent/predictor variable

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What does the y-axis tell us?

The dependent/response variable

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What some different types of graphs?

Bar
Scatterplot
Line

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What are some types of data?

Frequency distribution
Total
Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode)
Measures of dispersion (variance, range, standard deviation, standard error, 95% confidence interval, interquartile range)
individual data points

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What are the steps in the scientific methods?

Make observations
Formulate questions
Develop hypothesis
Make predictions
Design study (observational or experimental
Perform study and collect data
Analyze data
Interpret data (predictions correct?)
Make conclusion (hypothesis supported?)
Communicate results

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Which zebras have black and white stripes?

Plains zebras
Mountain zebras
Grevy’s zebras

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Which zebras have stripes on their legs?

African wildass

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What zebras have no stripes?

Asiatic wild ass
Kiang
Przewalski’s horse

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What is the question behind why zebras have stripes?

What selective agent causes striped individuals to survive better and produce more than non-striped individuals?

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What are the existing theories of why zebras have stripes?

Antipredator hypotheses
Anti parasite hypothesis
Thermoregulation hypothesis
Communication hypothesis

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What are the details of the antipredator hypothesis?

Crypsis - background matching & disruptive coloration
Confusion - difficult to distinguish/follow individuals, misjudging the number of zebras in a group, size of the target, or flight speed
Aposematism - stripes advertise kicking and biting

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What are the details of the anti parasite hypothesis?

Avoidance of biting flies which cause blood loss
The Glossina (tsetse flies) are vectors of trypanosomiasis
Tabunus (horse flies) are vectors of horse flue, horse sickness, infectious anemia, trypanosomiasis

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What are the details behind the thermoregulation hypothesis?

Cooling effect
The black stripes absorb more heat while the white stripes reflect more shortwave radiation
Overall leads to convection currents

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What are the details behind the communication hypothesis?

Individual recognition
Allogrooming
Sexual selection (mate choice)

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Hypothesis : Black and white stripes are a form of crypsis

Explanation : Zebras are more cryptic than sympatric non-striped herbivore species

Hypothesis : Black and white stripes help zebras avoid biting flies

Explanation : biting flies are more attracted to uniform colors than black and white stripes

Hypothesis : black and white stripes help zebras stay cool

Explanation : Zebras have cooler body temperatures than sympatric (living in the same geographical area) non striped herbivore species

Ultimately, why do zebras have stripes?

In compliance with the anti-biting hypothesis Biting flies are the evolutionary driver of the stripes Stripes help zebras avoid biting flies Fewer bites decrease the probability of getting parasites

What is the assumption of the Hardy-Weinberg Principle?

That no evolution has occurred

What are the mechanisms of evolution?

Mutation Non-random mating Gene flow Genetic drift Natural selection

What is the ULTIMATE source of genetic variation?

Mutation

How does mutation impact evolution?

it modifies allele frequencies by introducing new alleles Random changes in a DNA sequence

What effects can mutation have on fitness (the ability of an individual to produce viable offspring relative to others of the same species)?

Deleterious

How does natural selection play out?

Process by which individuals with certain heritable traits tend to produce more surviving offspring than individuals without those traits

What are the conditions for natural selection to occur?

Can only occur if heritable variation exists in a population

What is one example of a specific type of natural selection?

Sexual selection

What is directional selection?

Favors one extreme phenotype

What is stabilizing selection?

Favors phenotypes near the middle of the range of phenotypic variation

What is disruptive selection?

Favors extreme phenotypes at both ends of the range of phenotypic variation

What is balancing selection?

No single phenotype is favored at all times

What can genetic drift cause over time?

Can lead to the random loss or fixation of alleles

What causes genetic drift?

1. Random sampling process that takes place during fertilization 2. Disturbances that remove individuals at random

If a disturbance removes individuals from a population, what is the effect on genetic variation?

The genetic variation significantly decreases

What are the effects on average fitness?

The ability of an individual to produce viable offspring relative to others of the same species

What has effects on genetic variation?

Mutation Natural selection Genetic drift Gene flow

Who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection?

Charles Darwin Alfred Russel Wallace

What is the theory of natural selection?

Descent with modification Predicted patterns of seeing change through time / species are related by common ancestry

What is evidence for change through time?

Vastness of geologic time Extinction changes present over time Transitional features linking older and younger species Vestigial traits

What are the three levels of homology?

Developmental, genetic, and structural

What is the criteria for evolution by natural selection?

1. Variation exists among individual organisms that make up a population 2. Some of the trait differences are heritable 3. Survival and reproductive success is highly variable 4. The subset of individuals that survive and reproduce the most offspring is not a random

Which mechanism can lead to adaptation?

Natural selection

Is natural selection goal oriented?

Does natural selection lead to perfection?

What concepts are used to identify species?

Biological species concept Morphospecies concept Phylogenetic species concept

Talking about the biological species concept. . .

Main criterion is reproductive isolation No gene flow between populations

When are species distinct in the biological species concept?

Populations do not interbreed in nature Mating fails to produce viable and fertile offspring

Talking about the morphospecies concept

Main criterion for identifying species is differences in size, shape, or other morphological features Distinguishing features are more likely to arise if populations are independent and isolated from gene flow

Talk about the phylogenetic species concept

Main criterion for identifying species is the evolutionary history of populations Species are made up of populations that share synapomorphies

What are the advantages of the biological species concept?

Reproductive isolation = evolutionary independence

What are the disadvantages of the biological species concept?

Not applicable to asexual or extinct species Difficult to assess if populations do not overlap geographical

What are the advantages of the morphospecies concept?

Widely applicable

What are the disadvantages of the morphospecies concept?

Subjective Misidentifies polymorphic species Misses cryptic species

What are the advantages of phylogenetic species?

Widely applicable Based on testable criteria

What are the disadvantages of the phylogenetic species?

Relatively few well-estimated phylogenies are currently available

What must happen for speciation to occur?

Genetic isolation - elimination of gene flow between populations Genetic divergence - populations begin to evolve independently of each other

What are the two types of allopatric speciation?

Dispersal Vicariance

What are the steps of dispersal?

1. Some individuals disperse from their populations and colonize a new habitat 2. The two populations are genetically isolated from one another due to absence of gene flow 3. The populations diverge due to mutation, genetic drift, and selection