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How do we define evolution? **Be sure to include in your definition whether individuals evolve or populations**
Evolution is the change in the traits of a population or species over time. NOT an individual.
Describe natural selection AND describe an example of natural selection
Natural selection is a process that occurs when: A population experiences overproduction of offspring. The members of the population have genetic variation. So
How do adaptations contribute to survival and reproductive success? List an example.
Having an adaptation that is suited to an environment means that the organism is well “fit” for its environment, or able to survive and reproduce. An example wo
Some adaptations can include camouflage and mimicry. State how each help an organisms survive below: Camouflage
the ability of an organism to blend in with its environment. This helps the organism hide from potential predators (so they don’t get eaten) and prey (so they
Some adaptations can include camouflage and mimicry. State how each help an organisms survive below: Mimicry
the ability of an organism/species to look like a member of a different, usually poisonous species. This protects them from predators, who don’t want to eat som
Who was Charles Darwin?
A 19th century naturalist (scientist who studies nature) who studied the differences found in species
What did Charles Darwin do and where did he do it?
He researched organisms on the Galapagos Islands. He is known for his studies of finch beak shape/size.
What is the ultimate result of natural selection? (HINT: Your explanation should include the term “allele frequency”/It may act on phenotypes over time; however, think about what is it ultimately changing?)
The ultimate result of natural selection is that traits (alleles) that are NOT suited for the environment will die off, or the allele frequency will decrease. T
What type of interaction occurs when limited resources are available for organism to use? How does this interaction impact an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce?
Competition occurs when limited resources are available. Organisms that “win” the competition are able to survive and reproduce, organisms that “lose” the compe
How do we define a species?
A group of organisms capable of interbreeding (mating) and producing fertile offspring (their kids can have kids).
What are homologous structures? Describe an example
Homologous structures are physical structures that organisms from different species have in common. They are called HOMOlogous because they have the SAME struct
What do we mean by the “gene pool”?
The gene pool is all of the possible variations of a gene. For example: the gene pool for human hair is blonde, brown, black, red, and grey/white. There are sha
MUTATION
A change in DNA to produce a new trait. Ex: blue eyes are a mutation from the original brown eyes. Does this process increase or decrease genetic variation? I
GENETIC DRIFT
Random change in the allelic frequencies in a population that results from chance. Bottleneck effect: some natural disaster (like a volcano) kills the majority
GENE FLOW
The random movement of individual organisms between two populations of a species. They are able to bring their unique combination of traits to the new populatio
NATURAL SELECTION
The gradual (slow) change in a population’s characteristics over time, due to environmental pressures. Does this process increase or decrease genetic variatio
