12.1: History of Evolutionary Theory
Differences in rates of survival and reproduction was described by Darwin as survival of the ________.
fittest
A measure of an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its natural environment is called this
fitness
this driving force behind microevolution is considered to NOT be random.
natural selection
the process by which a single species evolves into many different forms that live in different ways over a relatively short period of time
adaptive radiation
The RNA world hypothesis proposes this
RNA was the first biomolecule
Change in allele frequencies over time is known as this
microevolution
Most mutations are this
neutral
In order for two organisms to be in the same species, they must be able to do this.
produce viable, fertile offspring in a natural environment.
index fossils
This is the only way to create NEW alleles
mutation
common descent
Any heritable characteristic that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment is called this
an adaptation
This pre-zygotic barrier occurs when two organisms do not mate due to differences in their times of reproductive activity.
temporal isolation
The Miller-Urey experiment in 1952 isolated what biomolecule?
Bat wings and butterfly wings are an example of this type of evolution
convergent
this deliberate practice (which influenced Darwin's theory) included breeding domesticated animals with desirable traits so their offspring possess these traits in increasing numbers
artificial selection or selective breeding.
A type of natural selection in which the average phenotype is favored over the extremes
stabilizing selection
A mule is an example of this post-zygotic barrier.
hybrid sterility
the term used to describe long periods during which there is little change that are interrupted by brief periods of rapid change. (this is used to explain gaps in the fossil record).
punctuated equilibrium
Name one requirement that must be present for genetic equilibrium to occur in a population
no nonrandom breeding, large population size, no natural selection, no migration, no mutations
This principle states that the geologic processes at work today, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, erosion, and weathering, are the same as those at work in the past.
uniformitarianism
Name three random causes of microevolution
Population bottleneck, founder's effect, and gene flow.
This process creates two separate species when a geographic barrier physically separates members of a population from coming into contact.
allopatric speciation.
mitochondria and chloroplasts.
Name one way asexually reproducing organisms generate variation in a population
viral transduction, bacterial transformation, conjugation