Darwin & Evolution
True/False: In Natural Selection, only individuals are what evolves over time, not the population.
False - Natural Selection can only amplify or diminish traits that differ among the individuals of a population (different traits already exist, change only occurs in # in population; if there is no diversity in population, then no evolution can occur).
Define the term: Microevolution
Microevolution describes the change in gene frequencies between populations of a species over time.
What is classification?
The process of naming and assigning organisms or groups of organisms to a taxon (a group containing an organism or group of organisms that exhibits a set of shared traits).
A scientist observes that birds on an island where hard seeds are most common have stronger beaks than that of birds on other islands. What explains this difference?
Natural Selection (birds who had stronger beaks were able to survive and reproduced more over time).
What cell part is responsible for protein synthesis?
Ribosomes
Homologous Structures vs. Analogous Structures
Homologous: structures that are similar but found in different species (due to common ancestry)
Analogous: structures that are similar in function, but have no common ancestry and are different in anatomy.
Why can perfect organisms not originate from natural selection (List 1 of 4 possible reasons)?
- Selection can act only on existing variations.
- Evolution is limited by historical constraints.
- Adaptation are often compromises
- Chance, natural selection and the environment interact
What does the Three-Domain system consist of?
Domain Bacteria, Domain Archaea, and Domain Eukarya
A group of white rabbits live in a snowy area. A mutation results in some of them to have a brown color. Over time, the brown rabbits nearly disappear from the population. What explains this occurrence?
Natural Selection
Define the Term: Missense Mutation
A missense mutation is where a change in a single nucleotide's DNA results in an entirely different amino acid added into the protein chain.
What are some key forms of evidence of evolution (list at least 3)?
Fossils, Homology, Vestigial Structures, Biogeography and Biochemical Evidence.
Bottleneck Effect vs. Founder Effect
Bottleneck effect: a type of genetic drift that exists when the loss of genetic diversity is due to natural disasters
Founder effect: a type of genetic drift that happens when a few individuals become isolated and form a new population.
Homologies vs. Analogies
Homologies are phenotypes and genetic similarities due to shared
ancestry. Analogies are similarities that develop due to convergent
evolution.
A group of 26 birds fall off from behind a migrating group and land on a new island, unable to find their way back to their original population. Over time, they start to evolve differently. What is this called?
The Founder Effect
List the 4 stages of the Mitosis Cell Cycle (in order!)
Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase/Cytokinesis
Natural Selection vs. Artificial Selection
Natural selection is a process where individuals that inherit certain traits that tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates.
Artificial Selection is when intentional breeding of certain combinations of traits is performed to produce a desirable outcome.
What are the equations that can be used to express the Hardy-Weinberg principle?
- p2+2pq+q2=1
- p+q=1
What are phylogenetic trees?
Branching diagrams that represent a hypothesis about the evolutionary history of a group of organisms.
An organism is prokaryotic and lives in very acidic hot springs. It has different membrane lipids than bacteria has. Based on this, classify the organism/identify its domain.
Archaea
List at least one of the two laws of Thermodynamics:
- 1st: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be
changed from one form to another.
- 2nd: Energy cannot be changed from one form to
another without a loss of usable energy.
List and explain the 2 principles of Lamark's Hypothesis of Evolution:
- Use and Disuse: Supported idea that body parts became smaller/larger, depending on frequency of use.
- Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics: An organism could pass acquired characteristics or modifications on to its offspring.
What 5 conditions must be met for the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?
No mutations, no migration, there must be a large gene pool, random mating must occur, and no selection.
What is Cladistics? What is a Cladogram?
Cladistics is the development of a hypothesis of evolutionary history using shared, derived traits.
A cladogram is a branching diagram showing the evolutionary relationships and shared characteristics among different species.
A cladogram is built, where dolphins are placed closer to fish than to cows because dolphins and fish both live in water. What mistake was made with this arrangement?
Analogous traits (the fact that they lived in the same place) were depended upon, instead of through the use of the shared derived traits (which would prove that they do not indicate common ancestry).
- A simple explanation of what proves common ancestry or of proper cladogram usage in this context is also acceptable for points.
What is RNA processing? What is the purpose of these modifications (must list at least two)?
RNA Processing: modification of the RNA primary transcript
Modifications:
- 5' cap added to 5' end
- Poly-A tail added to 3' end
Purpose:
- To help with attachment (to the 5' end), protect mRNA from degradation, and to facilitate the export of mRNA from the nucleus.