Biodiversity & Populations
This type of diversity describes the variety of genes within a population.
What is genetic diversity?
Inherited differences among individuals in a population are called genetic _____.
What is variation?
These structures share a similar underlying anatomy because they were inherited from a common ancestor.
What are homologous structures?
The movement of alleles between populations through reproduction is called this.
What is gene flow?
The gradual change in an ecological community over time is called this.
What is succession?
This is the number of individuals living per unit area.
What is population density?
This inherited trait improves an organism's chances of survival or reproduction.
What is an adaptation?
These structures have similar functions but different underlying origins.
What are analogous structures?
Random changes in allele frequencies, especially in small populations, are called this.
What is genetic drift?
These organisms are among the first to establish during succession and may help create soil.
What are pioneer species?
This term describes the maximum population an environment can support over time.
What is carrying capacity?
A sea turtle lays hundreds of eggs, but only a small number survive to adulthood. This demonstrates this condition of natural selection.
What is overproduction of offspring?
These reduced inherited structures may have modified or limited functions compared with ancestral structures.
What are vestigial structures?
A few lizards reach an island and establish a new population containing only some of the alleles from the mainland population.
What is the founder effect?
Succession beginning in an area where developed soil is absent is called this.
What is primary succession?
A population begins with 500 individuals. There are 80 births, 60 deaths, 30 immigrants, and 50 emigrants. What is the final population?
What is 500?
Hawks catch more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice on light sand. Fur color is inherited. Predict what will happen over generations.
What is light-colored fur becoming more common in the population?
Human arms and whale flippers share the same underlying bone pattern. What evolutionary conclusion does this evidence support?
What is common ancestry?
A hurricane randomly reduces a population from 300 individuals to only 12 survivors.
What is the bottleneck effect?
A wildfire destroys vegetation, but soil and roots remain. What type of succession should follow?
What is secondary succession?
A deer population grows beyond its carrying capacity. Explain what is likely to happen to competition and population size.
What is increased competition for limited resources, followed by a likely population decline?
Why don't individual beach mice simply change their fur color when they move onto light-colored sand?
What is natural selection acting on inherited variation across generations rather than individuals changing because they need to?
Scientists compare DNA and protein sequences from two species to determine how closely related they are. What type of evidence are they using?
What is molecular biology?
Pollen travels from one population to another and fertilizes flowers there. Explain why this represents gene flow.
What is genetic material moving between populations through reproduction?
Why is secondary succession usually faster than primary succession?
What is because soil remains, often along with roots, seeds, nutrients, and other biological material that allow the community to recover more quickly?
Dividing a large habitat into smaller, separated pieces is called this.
What is habitat fragmentation?
This occurs when pollutant concentrations increase at higher trophic levels.
What is biomagnification?
Fish are harvested faster than their population can replace them. What human impact does this demonstrate?
What is overexploitation?
A species disappears from one Florida county but continues living elsewhere. What has occurred?
What is extirpation?
A highway divides a forest into several small patches. Give two consequences for wildlife and one conservation strategy that could reduce the impacts.
What are reduced movement/gene flow and smaller or isolated populations, with a strategy such as wildlife corridors that reconnect habitat patches?