Darwin
Who is Charles Darwin?
discovered species on different islands.
What is a gene?
a portion of DNA that codes for a particular trait.
What is Macroclimate?
large scale variation in climate (ex. biomes)
What is performance?
measured in a variety of ways.
ex) survival, reproduction, growth, metabolic activity, etc.
What is Migration?
when organisms are at risk of experiencing conditions outside their range of tolerance, they often have adaptations to help them survive
What is Evolution?
A change in gene frequencies in a population overtime.
- people used to believe that species never changed
What are Alleles?
different forms of a gene? recessive vs. dominant.
What is Microclimate?
small scale variation in climate
ex) on a single mountain, one slope might be warmer than the other, resulting in different vegetation communities.
What is Range of Tolerance?
the conditions where an organism can survive.
range of tolerance for different species depends on the species and the environment it evolved to cope with.
What is insulation?
some organisms cope with extreme temps through resistance, meaning they have adaptations that help them resist the cold.
What did he notice?
he noticed that species were similar to the mainland but with adaptations
What is a genotype?
genetic makeup of an organism?
Microclimates: What is Vegetation?
trees, shrubs, plant litter produce important microclimates.
albedo varies between microclimates (influences how organisms interact with their environment).
What is temperature and microbial activity?
psychorphilic bacteria - cold loving
thermophilic bacteria - heat loving
What is resistance?
organisms cope with extreme temperatures by freezing.
ex) wood frog. freezes in winter and defrosts in summer. golfers and ground species use snow as insulation.
What is the evolution theory?
- more offspring produced each generation that can be supported by environment.
- heritable variation in traits among individuals in the population.
- some traits will give an individual a better chance of surviving and reproducing than other individuals without traits (fitness)
- Advantageous traits become more common in population over subsequent generations.
What is a phenotype?
the result of the interaction between the environment and their genotypes.
What is albedo in microclimates?
albedo varies between microclimates (influences how organisms interact with their environment).
ex) snowy environments in spring = higher albedo than bare soil so the soil can warm up quickly.
What is temperature and animal performance?
Metabolize energy intake (MEI) in eastern fence lizards is temperature dependent.
MEI = C-F-U
energy intake = energy consumed - energy lost in feces - energy lost in urine
What is hibernation?
lowering their metabolism, heart and breathing rate for a prolonged time.
ex) ground squirrels hibernating all winter.
What is variation?
Genetic variation: allele or genotype frequency in a population.
Phenotypic variation: frequency of certain phenotypes in a population
What are microclimate soil conditions in deserts?
influenced by vegetation because there is more organic material in the soil.
What is torpor?
similar physiological state for a shorter amount of time.
ex) hummingbirds overnight.