Natural Selection
The frequency of a beneficial allele in a population is likely to increase as a result of which type of natural selection?
What is directional selection?
Directional selection occurs when individuals with traits on one side of the mean in their population survive better or reproduce more than those on the other
What is the term for the acquisition of new traits through the transfer of genes between different species?
What is horizontal gene transfer?
Horizontal gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between organisms other than DNA from parent to offspring
There are three types of horizontal gene transfer: conjugation, transformation, and transduction.
What is the term for the total set of genes present in a population at a given time?
What is the gene pool?
The gene pool is the set of all genes, or genetic information, in any population, usually of a particular species.
What is the term for the process by which different genes are shuffled and combined during sexual reproduction?
What is recombination?
Genetic recombination is the exchange of genetic material between different organisms which leads to the production of offspring with combinations of traits.
What is the name of the scientist who first proposed the idea of natural selection as a mechanism of evolution?
Type of natural selection occurs when the environment favors individuals with extreme variations of a trait?
What is disruptive selection?
Disruptive evolution is an evolutionary force that drives populations apart. It takes place when more extreme phenotypes (or genotypes) within a population have a fitness advantage over intermediate individuals.
The name for the process by which two or more unrelated organisms evolve similar adaptations in response to similar environmental pressures?
What is convergent evolution?
Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods of time
Which type of genetic drift occurs when a small group of individuals breaks away from a larger population to find a new population elsewhere?
What is the founder effect?
The founder effect is the loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established
What is the term for the process by which new mutations arise and spread through a population?
What is mutation?
Mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome.
What is the term for the study of the geographic distribution of species, and how have historical and ecological factors influenced it?
What is biogeography?
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.
The Darwinian concept of natural selection is often summarized as "survival of the fittest." Which scientist first coined this phrase?
Who is Herbert Spencer?
Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest" after reading Charles Darwin's 1859 book On the Origin of Species
In evolutionary biology, what is the opposite of convergent evolution?
What is divergent evolution?
Divergent evolution is the accumulation of differences between closely related populations within a species, sometimes leading to speciation.
Which type of genetic drift occurs when a population undergoes a drastic reduction in size, leading to a loss of genetic variation?
What is the bottleneck effect?
The bottleneck effect is the sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events
What is the term for the movement of genes from one population to another as a result of interbreeding?
What is gene flow?
Gene flow is the transfer of genetic material from one population to another.
What is the name of the process by which species evolve in response to the selective pressures imposed by interactions with other species in their environment?
What is coevolution?
Coevolution occurs when two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution through the process of natural selection
The study of the genetic basis of phenotypic evolution is known as what?
What is evolutionary developmental biology, or evo-devo?
Evolutionary developmental biology is the comparative study of organismal development and how it has evolved. There is a focus on the genetic basis of phenotypic structures and how they change during evolution.
The process of natural selection can act on an organism's phenotype, but it is ultimately driven by changes at the level of what?
What is genotype?
Genotype is an organisms genetic material.
In which of the following scenarios is genetic drift more likely to have a significant effect on a population: a) a large population with high levels of gene flow, or b) a small population isolated from other populations?
What is b) a small population isolated from other populations?
this is because some versions of a gene can be lost due to random chance, and this is more likely to occur when populations are small.
What is the term for the process by which a new species arises from an existing species over a relatively short period of time, often as a result of geographic isolation or other factors that reduce gene flow between populations?
What is speciation?
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species.
What is the term for the process by which species evolve to fill different ecological niches within a given habitat or ecosystem, reducing competition between them and promoting biodiversity?
What is adaptive radiation?
Adaptive radiation is a process in which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into new forms of phenotypes.
Which of the following is an example of natural selection in action: a) a polar bear with white fur blending in better with snow, b) a giraffe with a long neck reaching leaves high up in trees, or c) a human with a high IQ being more likely to have children?
b) a giraffe with a long neck reaching leaves high up in trees?
The other choices were not natural selection. A) was an adaption, choice C) Is an example of higher evolutionary fitness
What is the term for the phenomenon whereby a previously beneficial trait becomes disadvantageous due to changes in the environment or other factors?
What is maladaptation?
It is the opposite form of adaptation, a failure to adjust adequately or appropriately to the environment or situation.
Genetic drift has a stronger effect on the genetic makeup of small populations than on large populations. True or false?
What is true?
Smaller populations tend to lose genetic diversity faster than smaller populations.
What is the term for the process by which genes are passed from parents to offspring?
What is verticle gene transfer?
What is the name of the process by which an organism's DNA is altered by exposure to high-energy radiation or other environmental factors, potentially resulting in genetic mutations that can drive evolution?
What is mutagenesis?
A process by which the genetic information of an organism is changed by the production of a mutation. It may occur spontaneously in nature or as a result of exposure to mutagens.