Unit 7 Evolution Flashcards
Define diversity in the context of biology.
Diversity in biology refers to the variety of life forms within a given ecosystem, including the differences in species, genetic variations, and ecological roles.
Describe the process of evolution.
Evolution is the gradual change in the inherited traits of a population over generations, driven by mechanisms such as natural selection, mutation, and genetic drift.
Explain inherited variation.
Inherited variation refers to the genetic differences among individuals in a population that are passed from parents to offspring, contributing to diversity.
How does fitness relate to natural selection?
Fitness in the context of natural selection refers to an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment, influencing the frequency of its genes in future generations.
What is adaptation in biological terms?
Adaptation is the process by which a species becomes better suited to its environment through evolutionary changes in traits.
Describe natural selection.
Natural selection is the process by which individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to the gradual evolution of species.
Define common ancestry.
Common ancestry refers to the concept that different species share a common ancestor from which they have evolved over time.
What is speciation?
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species, often due to genetic divergence.
Explain reproductive isolation.
Reproductive isolation is a mechanism that prevents different species from interbreeding, thus maintaining species boundaries.
Behavioral isolation
two populations have different mating behaviors (ex. different mating behaviors)
habitat isolation
two populations breed in different areas of a habitat. (ex. water vs land snakes)
geographic isolation
two populations are separated by a physical barrier (ex . squirrels are separated by the grand canyon)
temporal isolation
two populations have different timing for mating (ex. flowers that pollinate at night vs day).
co evolution
two species evolve in response to changes in each other
Gene flow
random migration from one population to another population
genetic drift (bottle neck)
a large amount of the population dies leaving a smaller amount to reproduce. Population now has less variation
genetic drift (founders effect)
a small number of individuals migrate to another location and being a new population. This can lead to speciation.
