Unit 3: Adaptations

Question 1

5 key ideas of Darwin’s theory of natural selection.

Answer 1

Individuals produce excess offspring, not all offspring can survive, individuals differ in their traits, differences in traits can be passed from parent to offspring, and different traits are associated with different abilities to survive and reproduce.

Question 2

Individuals vary in their ____________ and these variations are _____________________ in the next generation.

Answer 2

Traits, common

Question 3

Natural selection favors any traits that improve an individuals what?

Answer 3

Fitness

Question 4

Define fitness

Answer 4

An individual’s ability to survive and reproduce.

Question 5

Define adaptations

Answer 5

A trait that improves an individual’s fitness.

Question 6

How do sudden and gradual changes affect the ability of the species to adapt?

Answer 6

Sudden changes make it harder for a species to adapt than gradual changes. Sudden changes cause die offs because there is not time to adapt.

Question 7

5 random processes of evolution.

Answer 7

Mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, bottleneck effects, and founder effects.

Question 8

Individuals don’t adapt themselves, what actually happens?

Answer 8

Species change gradually overtime.