The Species Concept
A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring is known as this.
What is a species?
Evolutionary change that occurs on a large scale over long periods of time.
What is macroevolution?
A diagram that shows how species are related.
What is a phylogenetic tree?
The process where organisms with helpful traits survive and reproduce more.
What is natural selection?
This type of selection favors one extreme trait.
What is directional selection?
This species concept classifies organisms based on physical traits and appearance.
What is the morphological species concept?
A pattern where species evolve slowly and steadily over time.
What is gradualism?
The point where branches split on a tree.
What is a node?
Differences in traits among individuals in a population.
What is variation?
This type of selection favors the average trait.
What is stabilizing selection?
This concept defines species based on shared DNA and evolutionary relationships.
What is the phylogenetic species concept?
Evolution that happens quickly with long periods of little change.
What is punctuated equilibrium?
A group that includes a common ancestor and all its descendants.
What is a clade?
When organisms have more babies than can survive.
What is overproduction?
This type of selection favors both extremes.
What is disruptive selection?
A limitation of the biological species concept is that it cannot be applied to these organisms.
What are asexual organisms?
For example Bacteria
When one species turns into many different species.
What is adaptive radiation?
Traits that are similar because of shared ancestry.
What are homologous traits?
Traits that help an organism survive better.
What are adaptations?
What type of selection is this example
darker moths survive better in polluted areas.
What is directional selection?
Two populations look identical but do not interbreed in nature. What does this tell us ?
They are separate species due to reproductive isolation.
When different species become similar because of similar environments.
What is convergent evolution?
Traits that are similar but not from a common ancestor.
What are analogous traits?
Why do helpful traits become more common?
Because those organisms survive and reproduce more.
During stabilizing selection what happens to extreme traits?
They are selected against or removed.