Cierra Coughlin

UCONN Biology Objectives

Chapter 22: Darwinian View of Life
1.

The origin of the species focused biologists attention on the great diversity of
organisms. This included their origins, relationships, similarities & differences,
geographic distribution, and adaptions to the surrounding environments.

2.

Evolution: Change over time in the genetic composition of a population. Adaption:

an accumulation of inherited characteristics that enhances an organisms ability to
survive and reproduce.

3.

Aristotle recognized certain affinities among living things, leading him to conclude
that all life forms can be arranged on a ladder. Linnaeus adopted a rested
classification system grouping similar organisms in the same family.

4.

Catastrophism: speculating that each boundary between strata represents a

catastrophe that destroyed many of the species living at that time. Gradualism: the
idea that profound change can take place though a cumulative effect of slow but
continuous processes. Uniformitarianism: the same geologic processes are operating
today just as they did in the past.

5.

Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck created a theory that fossils will appear in

chronological order of older to younger fossils.

6.

Darwin realized that the plants and animals in temperate regions of South
Americas tropics closely resembled species living in Europe.

7.

After the earth quake Darwin realized that the rise in the coasttime resulted in the
rise of the fossils under the mountains.

8.

It is a phrase that summarized Darwin s view of life. He perceived unity in life.

9.

The evidence that convinced Darwin that species change over time were the
finches of the Galapagos Islands and how they adapted to the different conditions of
the islands.

10.

Linnaeus believed that a hierarchy reflected the branching history of the tree of
life, with organisms at various taxonomic levels related though decent form common
ancestor.

11.

(1) Production of more individuals than the environment can handle can lead to a
struggle for existence. (2) Survival depends on inherited traits. (3) The unequal
ability of individuals to survive and reproduce will lead to a gradual change.

12.

It influenced Darwin to believe that much of human suffering was the

consequence of the human population reproducing faster than the renewable
resources and food.

13.

Artificial Selection: when individuals choose what species should breed. Natural
Selection: when nature chooses what to breed.

14.

An individual organism cannot evolve because it depends on the traits they carry,
that are passed on and needed to survive.

15.

Homologous structures are things that are common in different species. Vestigial
Organs- are the traits one has that were adapted at one point but are no longer
needed.

16.

Nature selects how a species evolves based on their survival methods.

17. The word theory is associated with hypothesis, but a theory is a more
comprehensive than a hypothesis which predicts what might happen while a theory is
why something did happen and more in depth.

Chapter 23: Evolution of Populations

1.

The statement It is the population, not the individual, that evolves means that
one organism cannot evolve by their lonesome.

2.

Mendels theory explains that small differences between organisms of some

population are central to their role in natural selection.

3.

Discrete Traits: A discrete trait is a trait which doesn't have a range of

phenotypes. Quantitive Traits: A phenotype that is influenced by multiple genes.

4.

The modern synthesis is a theory of evolution that highlights natural selection,

gradualism and population fundamental units of of evolutionary change.

5.

Population:all the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country Species:a

group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging
genes or interbreeding. Gene Pool:the stock of different genes in an interbreeding
population.

6.

The genes do not actually change they keep going back in the gene pool.

7.

-Very large population -No gene flow -No mutations -Random Mating -No Natural
Selection
8.
p^2 + 2pq + q^2 q^2=.25 q=.5 p=.5 p^2= .25
9.

The majority of point mutations are harmless because it an be a code form amino
acids.

10.
Mutations have little effect on allele frequencies in large populations because
they have little quantitative effect.
11.
The significance of transposons in the generation of genetic variability is that
when the population changes the members of the population migrate to a new
habitat.
12.
It involves half of each parents genes which results in gene combination in the.
offspring
13.
It means that genetic flow and genetic drift are random. Natural selection will
allow the genomes that are a good adaption to pass on.

Chapter 24: Origin of Species

1.

Anagenesis: phyletic evolution; accumulation of changes that gradually transform

a given species into a specie with different characteristics. Cladogenesis: branching
evolution; splitting of a gene pool into two or more separate pools, which each give
rise to one or more new species; only this can promote biological diversity by
increasing the number of species.

2.

Mayrs biological species concept: defines a species as a population or group of

populations whose members have the potential to interbreed in nature and produce
viable, fertile offspring, but are unable to produce viable, fertile offspring with
members of other populations.

3.

Prezygotic: impede mating between species or hinder fertilization of ova if

members of different species attempt to mate. Postzygotic: prevent hybrid zygote from
developing into a viable, fertile adult.

4.

1) habitat isolation: two species occupy different habitats in the same area and
encounter each other rarely even though not isolated by obvious physical barriers like
mountains. 2) temporal isolation: species that breed during different times of the day,
seasons or years and cant mix their gametes. 3) behavioral isolation: courtship rituals
that attract mates and are unique to a species. 4) mechanical isolation: morphological
differences. 5) gametic isolation: sperm of one species cant fertilize eggs of another,
biochemical.

5.

Reduced hybrid vitality may be caused by genes of different parent species

interacting and impairing hybrid development.

6.

Hybrid breakdown: first-generation hybrids are viable and fertile, but when mate
with one another or with either parent species, offspring of next generation are feeble
or sterile.

7.

Biological species concepts emphasis on reproductive isolation has influenced

evolutionary theory but number of species that it can be applied to is limited.

8.

Ecological species concept: views a species in terms of its ecological niche, role
in big community; can accommodate asexual as well as sexual species.
Paleontological species concept: focuses on morphologically discrete species known

only from fossil record; forced because little or no info on their mating capability.
Phylogenetic species concept: defines species as set of organisms with a unique
genetic history. Morphological species concept: characterizes species by body shape,
size and structural features; asexual and sexual; dont need extent of gene flow,
heavily subjective however.
9.

Allopatric speciation: gene flow is interrupted when population is divided into

geographically isolated subpopulations. Sympatric speciation: takes place in
geographically overlapping populations.

10.

Allopatric speciation model: geographic separation, separated gene pools

diverge; mutations, sexual selection, selective pressures, genetic drift, new species.

11.

Adaptive radiation: evolution of many diversely adapted species from a common

ancestor upon introduction to various new environments, this often occurs when few
organisms make way to new, distant areas/extinctions.

12.

Sympatric speciation:takes place in geographically overlapping populations.

13.

Autopolyploid: individual with more than two chromosome sets all from a single
species. Allpolyploid: fertile hybrids that are polyploidy.

15.

Cichlids: mate choice based on coloration is main reproductive barrier; different

colored tails, behavioral barrier;

can no longer mate.

16.

Adaptive radiation: evolution of many species from a common ancestor because

of different environments;

17.

In speciation in Mimulus two gene loci are lewisii pollinated by bees and cardinal
is pollinated by humming birds, keeping gene pools separate.

18.

Natural selection adapts to environment, differences that help survival

accumulate until become evolution and

change the entire species.

19.

Exaptation: structure that evolved in one context became co-opted for another
function.

20. Slight genetic divergences may lead to major morphological differences between
species because accumulates in a population to become macroevolutionary changes.
21.

Temporal developmental dynamics: organisms shape depends on relative growth

rates of different body parts during development, they can change adult form
substantially. Spatial developmental dynamics: can have profound impact on
morphology.

22.

Evo-devo: interface between evolutionary biology and developmental biology.

Heterochrony: evolutionary change in the rate or timing of developmental events.
Allometric growth: proportioning that helps give a body its specific form.
Paedomorphosis: sexually mature stage of species retains juvenile body features in
an ancestral species when reproductive development accelerates compared to
somatic development.

23.

Extracting a single evolutionary progression from the fossil record can be

misleading because by selecting certain species from available fossils; can arrange
intermediate between extinct and current species that vanishes if include all fossil
horses.

24.

Species selection: species that endure longest an degenerate most new offspring
determines direction of major evolutionary trends; 3differential speciation success
plays role in macroevolution (evolutionary change above species level)=to role of
differential reproductive success in microevolution (changes confined to a single
gene pool, in a population).

25.

Evolution is not goal-directed because it is merely a result of the interactions

between organisms and their current environments; even though there appear to be
trends in evolution, often it is merely by chance, no intrinsic drive toward a particular
phenotype.