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Evolution Final
evolution final
12
Science
Undergraduate 3
05/02/2011

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Term
Who were the prominent scientists who contributed to early evolutionary theory?
Definition
1. Carl Linnaeus: Systema Naturae
2. Charles Lyell: many small changes
3. Georges Cuvier: extinction
4. James Hutton: Earth formed slowly
5. Lamarck: heritability
Term
What led Darwin to his theory of natural selection?
Definition
Finches from the Galapogos. All were remarkably well-suited to their habitats because they had been continually changing.
Term
What is natural selection?
Definition
If an individual has some trait that helps it to thrive in its environment, it may leave more offspring than other individuals. Its traits would propagate across the species.
Term
How does artificial selection differ from natural selection?
Definition
Artificial selection is directed, out of desire for a certain result. Natural selection has no result in mind and is not directed.
Term
How does natural selection produce adaptations?
Definition
Adaptations begin randomly as mutations. If a mutation is beneficial to an individual's fitness, that mutation is propagated through the species via the individual's offspring--i.e. is naturally selected.
Term
Why is heritability a prerequisite for evolution?
Definition
If traits weren't heritable, there would BE no evolution. Evolution is a system in which traits, both beneficial and detrimental, are passed to one's offspring.
Term
Why is genetic diversity needed in order for evolution to occur?
Definition
With more variation, it is more likely that some individuals in a population will possess variations of alleles that are suited for the environment. Those individuals are more likely to survive to produce offspring bearing that allele.
Term
What is the role of mutation in evolutionary processes?
Definition
Adaptations are derived from mutations. That being said, not all mutations are beneficial and sometimes help to rule certain individuals out of the gene pool.
Term
What is genetic drift and how does it cause evolutionary change?
Definition
Genetic drift is the change in the frequency of an allele in a population due to random sampling. Genetic drift may cause gene alleles to disappear completely, and thereby reduce genetic variation. Less genetic variation means less of a chance for adaptation.
Term
Why do organisms reproduce sexually?
Definition
more DIVERSITY, FASTER EVOLUTION, better IMMUNE SYSTEM
Term
How is sexual selection different from other forms of natural selection?
Definition
Sexual selection deals solely with what members of a specific sex are more fit to reproduce.
Term
What roles do conflict and cooperation play in reproduction?
Definition
Ducks! Ducks have Red Queen type evolving genitalia.
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