Ecology
The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully.
natural selection
What is the name of the structure in mollusks that secretes the shell and covers the visceral mass?
Mantle
A dog learns to associate the sound of a bell with mealtime and begins to salivate whenever it hears the bell, even if food is not present. What type of learning is this?
Classical conditioning occurs when an animal learns to associate a neutral stimulus (the bell) with an outcome (food).
What term describes the formation of two species from a common ancestor due to a geographic barrier preventing gene flow?
Allopatric speciation occurs when populations are physically separated, leading to genetic divergence and the formation of new species.
In a coastal ecosystem, sea otters help control sea urchin populations. When sea otters are removed, sea urchins overpopulate, destroying kelp forests and drastically altering the ecosystem. What type of species is the sea otter?
Keystone species, as the sea otter,, have a disproportionally large impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance.
Which type of skeleton do annelids use for movement by contracting their muscles against fluid pressure?
Hydrostatic skeleton
Some migratory birds use the position of the sun and Earth's magnetic field to travel thousands of miles to their breeding grounds each year. What is this ability called?
Navigation
A liger is the offspring of a lion and a tiger, but ligers are typically unable to produce their own offspring. What type of reproductive barrier does this represent?
Two coffee shops open in the same neighborhood, initially serving identical products and competing for the same customers. Over time, one specializes in premium artisanal coffee, while the other focuses on quick, budget-friendly options. What ecological principle explains how both businesses can coexist?
Resource partitioning, as they are dividing resources to reduce direct competition. They specialize in different market segments, which is similar to how species adjust their realized niches in nature.
Some annelids and arthropods have bristle-like structures outside their bodies that aid in movement and grip surfaces. What are these structures called?
Setae
A young duckling follows the first moving object it sees after hatching, even if it is a human. What type of learning does this behavior demonstrate?
Imprinting.
Two closely related species of frogs live in the same area but reproduce at different times of the year, preventing them from interbreeding. What specific type of reproductive isolation is this?
Tempora Isolation
A group of mammals living in a forest experiences a rapid drop in genetic diversity due to a catastrophic wildfire that wipes out most of the population. Over time, even harmful mutations become more common because there are too few individuals left to eliminate them through natural selection. What evolutionary process is at play?
Bottleneck effect: Since there is a sudden reduction in population size, the genetic variation is decreased.
A researcher discovers a new marine organism that has a segmented body, jointed appendages, and an exoskeleton made of chitin. To which major phylum does this organism belong?
Arthropods.
A scientist is studying two groups of young ducks. One group is exposed to a human wearing a red jacket immediately after hatching and follows the person around, even as adults. The second group is rewarded with food every time they successfully complete a simple maze and, over time, navigates it faster.
Which two distinct learning processes are being demonstrated, and what differentiates them?
A fossil record shows that a species remained unchanged for millions of years, then rapidly evolved into new forms in a short geological period. What model of evolution does this support?
Punctuated equilibrium suggests that species experience long periods of stability, interrupted by rapid evolutionary changes due to environmental shifts.
A species of deer is introduced to a new island with no predators and abundant vegetation. Initially, the population grows exponentially, but after several generations, birth rates decline, competition for food increases, and some deer die from malnutrition.
What ecological factors could explain why the population stops growing, and how might ecologists predict the long-term population size?
Explain the three coelom formations.
A sea turtle hatchling instinctively moving toward the ocean immediately after birth is an example of what?
A fixed action pattern (FAP) is an innate, unchangeable behavior triggered by a specific stimulus. The sea turtle hatchling automatically moves toward light reflected on the ocean without learning, making this a classic example of FAP.
A hybrid offspring is produced when two different species of plants crossbreed. The hybrid can survive and reproduce, but over several generations, its offspring begin to experience genetic instability, leading to reduced fertility and eventual population decline.
What is the specific term for this type of reproductive barrier?
Hybrid breakdown