Natural Selection
What is natural selection?
Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. Without human interference.
What is genetic variation?
Genetic variation refers to the differences in DNA among individuals in a population that contribute to diversity.
Traits or characteristic changes
What is the fossil record?
The fossil record is a historical archive of life on Earth, providing evidence of past organisms and their structures.
What is evolution?
Evolution is the change in the heritable traits of a population over time.
How can math be used to represent natural selection?
Math can model population changes over time through equations that represent survival rates and reproduction.
Give an example of a trait that may change in a population due to natural selection.
The beak size of finches can change based on food availability, leading to survival of birds with beaks suited for different seeds.
Giraffe neck, fruit seeds, corn, etc
How does genetic variation affect a species' survival?
Genetic variation increases the likelihood that some individuals will have traits suitable for surviving environmental changes.
How can fossils indicate the diversity of ancient life?
Fossils show different species that existed at various times, illustrating the range of life forms and their evolutionary history.
Name one mechanism of evolution.
(Think of the process that happens to species over a long period of time)
Natural selection is one mechanism that drives evolution.
What is a population growth model?
A population growth model is a mathematical representation that predicts how populations change over time based on various factors.
How does natural selection lead to changes in populations over generations?
Natural selection favors traits that enhance survival and reproduction, causing those traits to become more common in the population over generations.
Explain how mutations contribute to genetic variation.
Mutations are changes in DNA that create new alleles, contributing to genetic diversity within a population.
Can help, harm, or does not impact at all.
What can we learn from extinct organisms in the fossil record?
Extinct organisms can reveal how species have evolved over time and how they responded to environmental changes.
How do inherited characteristics contribute to evolution?
Inherited characteristics are passed down through generations and can be subject to natural selection, leading to evolution.
Explain how ratios can be used to study genetic traits in a population.
Ratios can indicate the frequency of specific traits in a population, helping to analyze how traits are passed on.
Describe how environmental changes can affect natural selection
Environmental changes, such as climate shifts or habitat destruction, can alter the survival needs of a species, leading to changes in which traits are favorable.
What is the relationship between genetic variation and reproduction?
Higher genetic variation can lead to a greater chance of survival for offspring, as they may inherit advantageous traits.
Explain how the fossil record helps us understand evolution.
The fossil record provides evidence of gradual changes in species, showing how they adapted over millions of years.
Define speciation.
Speciation is the process by which new species arise from existing ones, often due to environmental changes or reproductive isolation.
How can statistical data help in understanding evolution?
Statistical analysis can identify patterns and trends in evolutionary data, such as changes in traits or extinction rates.
What role does competition play in natural selection?
Competition for resources such as food, mates, and habitat drives natural selection, as only those individuals with advantageous traits will thrive.
How can environmental factors influence genetic variation?
Environmental pressures, like climate or predators, can favor certain genetic traits, influencing which variations are passed on.
How do scientists use fossils to establish relationships between ancient and modern organisms?
By studying similarities and differences in fossils and modern organisms, scientists can infer evolutionary relationships.
Describe how adaptation is related to evolution.
Adaptation is the process whereby species develop traits that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments, driving evolutionary change.
What type of graph can be used to represent changes in populations due to natural selection?
A line graph can be used to depict changes in population size or trait frequency over time, illustrating the effects of natural selection.