Mutations
What is a mutation?
What is a change in the base-pair sequence of genes
What is genetic variation?
What is the diversity of gene frequencies in a population?
What is an adaptation?
What is a trait that enhances an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment?
What is natural selection?
What is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring?
What is competition in the context of natural selection?
What is the struggle between organisms for limited resources
Give an example of a beneficial mutation
What is a mutation that allows an organism to better withstand environmental stress
Why is genetic variation important for natural selection?
What is it provides the raw material for adaptation and evolution
Provide an example of a behavioral adaptation
What is migration in birds
Hunting in packs
Discuss the role of competition in natural selection
What is competition for resources can influence which traits are favored by natural selection
How does competition influence natural selection?
What is it can determine which traits are favorable based on resource availability
Name the three main types of mutations. (100 points for each)
What are insertion, substitution, and deletion
How can environmental factors influence genetic variation?
What is they can create selective pressures that favor certain traits over others
How do structural adaptations differ from behavioral adaptations.
What is structural adaptations are physical features, while behavioral adaptations are actions organisms take?
How does natural selection lead to evolution?
What is it results in the gradual change of populations as beneficial traits become more common?
Give an example of competition in a natural habitat
What is plants competing for sunlight and nutrients
Finches and seeds/cactus
What is a harmful mutation?
What is a mutation that negatively affects an organism's survival or reproduction?
Explain how genetic variation can arise through sexual reproduction
What is we receive our genes from parents which can result in offspring with different combinations of traits
Explain how adaptations can lead to speciation.
What is adaptations can create reproductive barriers that lead to new species over time?
What are the four main principles of natural selection? (100 points for each)
What are variation, overproduction, competition, and survival of the fittest?
Explain how competition can lead to the evolution of species.
What is competition can drive adaptations that enhance survival, leading to speciation
Describe how mutations contribute to genetic diversity in a population.
What is mutations introduce new alleles, which can result in variations that may be advantageous or disadvantageous?
How does genetic drift affect genetic variation in small populations?
What is it can lead to random changes in allele frequencies (genes), potentially reducing diversity (the amount of variations we see)
Describe the relationship between adaptations and survival of the fittest.
What is individuals with beneficial adaptations are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on?
Provide an example of natural selection observed in a specific species.
What is the change in beak size of the Galapagos finches during drought conditions
What role does competition play in maintaining genetic diversity within a population?
What is it promotes the survival of diverse traits that can respond to environmental changes