Common Misconceptions vs. Evidence for Evolution
True or False: The theory of evolution does not attempt to explain the origin of life on earth but instead explains the connectivity and diversity of the life we observe on earth today.
True
Change in the frequency of alleles in a population over time.
Evolution
Evolution is a process that happens at what level of biological organization?
Population
Which mechanism of evolution can give rise to adaptations?
Natural selection
Which is the classification of life contains the most organisms?
Domain
True or False: Evolution involves some grand plan of nature in which species become more complex.
False
How well a particular genotype leaves offspring in the next generation compared to other genotypes
Fitness
The process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Natural Selection
A pattern where individuals with one extreme trait are favored, shifting the population in towards a single trait on one end of the spectrum. For example, in the populations of moths, darker-colored became more common due to pollution darkening the tree bark.
Directional selection
Which classification of life is the most specific?
Species
True or False: Survival of the fittest means survival of the strongest.
False
The evolutionary process by which populations evolve and become distinct species.
speciation
A small population of beetles is accidently brought to an island on a ship and left there. Over several generations, the frequency of green beetles decreases while brown beetles become more common. There is no known predator preference for green or brown, and both colors survive equally well. Change in the frequencies of each color is likely due to which mechanism of evolution?
genetic drift
A pattern of selection where the average of a trait is favored and extremes are rare. For example, human baby and head circumference. Too big and that is dangerous for mom, too small and that is dangerous for baby.
Stabilizing selection
Structures that a set of organisms have because they share a common ancestor that can be used to draw a phylogenetic tree.
homologous structures
True or False: Evolution explains both the unity and diversity of life we see on earth.
True
The species concept defines a species as members of a population that actually or potentially interbreed.
Biological species concept
A population of white rabbits live in a snowy region. Overtime, rabbits from a nearby forest population with brown fur begin moving into the area and breeding with the white rabbits. After several generations, brown fur becomes more common in the snowy population. This change is most likely due to which mechanism of evolution?
gene flow
A pattern of selection in which individuals with extreme traits on both ends of the spectrum are favored. For example, birds with small beaks can open small seeds, and birds with big beaks have access to big seeds, but medium size beaks are not helpful because they cannot open either seed type very well.
disruptive selection
A node on a phylogenetic tree represents
common ancestor
List at least 2 of the 6 lines of evidence for evolution discussed in class.
1.) Fossils
2.) Homologous structures
3.) Comparative embryology
4.) Similarities in DNA and proteins
5.) Biogeography
6.) Antibiotic resistance
1.) _____________________ occurs when members of a population becomes geographically isolated from one another long enough that when reuntied they no do not interbred, making them 2 seperate species.
2.) ______________________ occurs when members of a population remain together geographically, yet due to a behavioral shift of some individuals become two distinct groups that do not interbreed.
1.) Allopatric speciation
2.) Sympatric speciation
In a population of flowers, a random change in DNA causes one plant to produce purple flowers instead of the usual red flowers. The new purple-flower trait can be passed to offspring and does not help or hurt the plant. This change is most likely due to which mechanism of evolution?
mutation
Name the 4 conditions that must be met in a system for natural selection to occur.
1.) Variation
2.) Heritability
3.) Competition for survival
4.) Reproductive advantage
The scientific name of an organism tells us something about its evolutionary relationship to other organisms. Each name is two words. For example, Canis Lupus. The first word is the genus the organism belongs two, the second denotes the..
species