Unit 2 Flashcards
Taxonomy
Taxonomy involves the identification and naming of organisms and their classification into groups based on shared characteristics.
Phylogenetics
Phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms.
Model organisms
Those that are easily studied or have been well studied.
Latency
The time between the stimulus occurring and the response behaviour.
Frequency
The number of times a behaviour occurs within the observation period.
Duration
The length of time each behaviour occurs during the observation period.
Evolution
The change over time in the proportion of individuals in a population differing in one or more inherited traits.
Anthropomorphism
The attribution of human traits, emotions or intentions to non-human entities.
Genetic drift
Occurs when chance events cause unpredictable fluctuations in allele frequency from one generation to the next.
Hardy-Weinberg principle
In the absence or presence of evolutionary influences, allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant over generations.
Fitness
Fitness is an indication of an individuals ability to be successful at surviving and reproducing.
Co-evolution
The process by which 2 or more species evolve in response to selection pressures imposed by each other.
Red Queen Hypothesis
In a co-evolutionary relationship, a change in the traits of one species can act as a selection pressure on the other species.
Parthenogenesis
Reproduction from a female gamete without fertilisation
More common in a cool climate with a low parasite density which is disadvantageous to parasites.
Fertilisation
The combining of 2 haploid nuclei of 2 gametes which forms a diploid nucleus.
Meiosis
The division of the nucleus, that results in the formation of haploid gametes from a diploid gametocyte.
Hermaphrodites
Species that have functioning male and female reproductive organs in each individual.
Sexual dimorphism
Physical differences between males and females of the same species.
Female choice
Involves females assessing honest signals of the fitness of males.
Ecological niche
The multi-dimensional summary of tolerances and requirements of a species.
Fundamental niche
The niche a species occupies in the absence of inter specific competition.
Realised niche
The niche a species occupies in response to interspecific competition.
Competitive exclusion
Where the niches of 2 species are so similar that one declines to local extinction.
Resource Partitioning
Where the realised niches of 2 species are sufficiently different, so potential competitors can co-exist.
Ectoparasites
Live and feed ON the surface of its host
Endoparasites
Live and Feed WITHIN the tissues of its host
Definitive host
The organism (on/in) which a parasite reaches sexual maturity.
Intermediate host
The host that a parasite might require to complete its lifecycle
Vector
Plays an active role in the transmission of the parasite
Transmission
The spread of a parasite to a host
Virulence
The harm caused to a host species by a parasite
Latency ( parasites )
The inactive state of a virus after it integrates its genome into the host genome.
Epidemiology
The study of outbreak and spread of infectious disease
Lekking species
Males will display for females in a communal display area, and then females will choose a mate.
Honest signals
Indicate favourable alleles which increase the chances of offspring survival or a low parasite burden.
Symbionts
2 different species which are involved in a close association.
Monogamy
The mating of a pair of animals to the exclusion of all others
Polygamy
Individuals of one sex have more than one mate
Polygyny
One male mates exclusively with a group of females
Polyandry
One female mates with a number of males in the same breeding season
Natural Selection
Acts on genetic variation in a population which improves fitness and selective advantage
Sexual selection
The non-random process involving the selection of alleles that increase the individuals chances of mating and producing offspring.
Homologous
The chromosomes : are matching
are the same size
have the same genes in the same place
have the same centromere position
SRY gene
The SRY gene on the Y chromosome determines the development of male characteristics.
Interspecific competition
Competition from other species.
Degenerate
Lacking structures and organs found in other organisms
RNA retroviruses
RNA retroviruses use the enzyme reverse transcriptase to form DNA, which is then inserted into the genome of the host cell.
Viruses
Viruses are parasites that can only replicate inside a host cell
Plasmodium
Causes the human disease malaria
Schistosomes
Cause the human disease schistosomiasis
Herd immunity threshold
The density of resistant hosts in the population required to prevent an epidemic.
Antigenic variation
Allows parasites to change between different antigens during the course of infection of a host.
Sex change
Can be caused by :
Parasitic infection
Competition
Size : when the largest female dies, the largest male becomes a female (clownfish)
Temperature of incubation
Horizontal gene transfer
The transfer of genetic material out with reproduction
Bacteria
E-coli
Nematoda
C elegans
Arthropoda
Drosophila melanogaster
Chordata
Mice, rats, zebrafish
Flowering plant
Arabidopsis thaliana
Identification
Can be made using :
Classification guides
Biological keys
Analysis of DNA or a protein
Indicator species
Their presence, absence or abundance give information of environmental qualities, such as the presence of a pollutant.
Methods of marking
Banding
Tagging
Surgical implantation
Painting
Hair clipping
Mark and Recapture
A method for estimating population size.
N - population size
M - sample of the population is marked and released
C - the second sample which is captured
R - the number of individuals recaptured
Ethogram
A list of all the behaviours shown by a species.
Absolute fitness
Frequency of a particular genotype after selection
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Frequency of a particular genotype before selection
Relative fitness
Number of surviving offspring per individual of a particular genotype
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Number of surviving offspring per individual of the most successful genotype
Sessile species
Slow moving
Quadrats or transects used
Mobile species
Moving
Capture techniques such as traps and nets
Elusive species
Sampled using camera traps
Or scat sampling
