Evolution and Ecology Study Guide for Final

A founder effect is when a new colony is started by a few members of the original population. How does this occur what happens to the new colony?

The new colony has little biodiversity, this is similar to the bottle neck effect I guess in a way.

What is the relationship between the earth's geologic history and layers of rock?

The oldest layer of rocks are at the bottom while the newest are at the top

By removing members from a single population with a certain trait, it can cause evolutionary impacts like permanently removing the genetic trait completely from the population. What will happen in the long run?

The population will have less biodiversity resulting in a lower chance of survival in a changing environment

What would happen to the owl population if there were less rabbits, mice, and snakes?

The population would decrease because there is not enough food to sustain the population

Why are there higher levels of speciation after mass extinctions?

There is less competition for food, space, and resources

What are the 3 benefits of diversity?

1.Disease resistance, 2. Parasite resistance, and 3. A better chance to survive environmental change

what is two plus two

3

Why is the transfer of energy within a energy pyramid not 100%

90% of it is lost through respiration and digestion, only 10% is passed on as flesh

What does it mean if two organisms have structures that are homologous?

Same function different size structure. It means that they have a common ancestor b/c they have similar anatomy

How are lethal genes kept in the gene pool of a population?

Lethal genes are kept in the gene pool b/c of heterozygous carriers

What are some examples of catastrophism?

Mountain and seas formed during sudden events called catastrophes .

How are natural selection and evolution connected to each other?

Natural selection causes evolution.

Phenotypes,the appearance, are what natural selection acts on. Why is that

Natural selection only acts on phenotypes because predator hunt based on appearance; they don't know the genotype.

How does natural selection cause populations to change?

Natural selection takes out those who are not capable of surviving in the environment and removes them from the gene pool

How does genetic variation protect organisms from pathogens?

Offspring with genetic variation will most likely possess the genes to fight off the pathogens

What are the levels or organization of living things?

Organism > Population > Community > Ecosystem > Biosphere

Biotic factors in an environment are living factors. What are some examples of biotic factors?

Plants, Trees, Birds, and other living things

Natural selection can drastically change populations over time. How can it change populations?

Populations change through variations different genes of individuals in a population. Helpful variations add up while unfavorable ones disappear.

Why does natural selection act on phenotype rather than genotype?

Predator select prey based on physical traits (phenotype) not their genetic make up (genotype)

What would happen if keystone species were to go extinct?

The ecosystem would suffer since many species rely on a keystone species for survival, the ecosystem might cease to exist

Keystone species have many interconnections in the ecosystem. What happens when they are removed?

The environment and number of species becomes unbalanced and overpopulated

There are many evidences of evolution. What are they?

The finches on the galapagos islands are evidence of evolution.

A hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells. How does this show similarities between organisms?

The more hemoglobin proteins that are similar/different suggest how closely related 2 species/organisms are

The geologic time scale is the standard method used to divide Earth's long natural history into manageable parts. What are the eras/parts?

-Precambrian Era: Began with formation of earth; massive super continents, first oceans, early atmosphere formed -Paleozoic Era: Pangaea formed, major organism groups evolved, ended with exinction -Mesozoic Era: Pangaea broke up, dinosaurs dominated, ended with mass exinction -Cenozoic Era: Lasts until now, continents are where they are today

What are the consequences of low biodiversity?

A higher chance of extinction, higher biodiversity means that there is a better chance of survival in a changing environment

What do you get more energy out of- a meat diet or vegan diet?

According to the energy pyramid, you get more energy from eating producers, or plants.

Speciation is when a new species is developed. How does this occur?

After a mass extinction

According to the fossil record, when is speciation happening at the greatest rate?

After mass extinctions

A community is the many different species that live together in a habitat. An ecosystem consists of all physical aspects. WHat is the difference between the two?

An ecosystem consists of a community, meaning ecosystems are a part of a community.

Vestigial structures are structures that over time in one species are reduced in size and function. What is an example of this?

An example is a whale pelvis that was once used for walking, but now it's a waste of space

Homologous structures are structures between two organisms that are of same basic parts but are different sizes. What is an example of this?

An example of a homologous structure is the forelimbs in different animals

Vestigal structures are structures that, over time in one species, are reduced in size and function. What is an example of this?

An example of a vestigial structure is the flightless cormorant who, over time, has wings that are too small to let it fly.

Why do organisms change over time?

B/c a changing environment forces them to change/adapt to survive

Lethal genes are deadly and often kill the individual before they produce offspring. Yet the lethal genes are still maintained. Why is that?

B/c of heterozygous carriers who carry the lethal gene without it being lethal to them

Why do extinction events occur after each era?

B/c of massive change in environment which leads into the next era

Why are there fewer living things at the top of the energy pyramid?

B/c there is not enough resources to support them

What is a major cause of mass extinction?

Climate change/ Environmental change

Why is the change of organisms inevitable?

DNA mutates at certain intervals in time acting like a clock, always permitting change

Evolution is a theory of change over time. How does evolution occur?

Evolution occurs b/c of natural selection just ask Darwin

Evolution is a theory of change over time. How does evolution occur?

Evolution occurs through natural selection, which is where population are change

Fossils show change over time, mass extinction, and speciation. How does this happen?

Fossilization happens when a dead organism is rapidly buried by mud, material, sand, or mineralized

Why is genetic diversity crucial to survival?

Genetic diversity= various traits in a population A population of a species is more likely to survive if they have more genes to combat environmental changes, whereas little genetic diversity makes a population vulnerable to change.

What are the 3 things that can cause reproductive isolation

Geologic isolation, Behavioral, and Temporal.

Diversity is important in populations. How does diversity occur?(Can be good or bad)

Good mutations can cause a stronger population. Genetic drift decreases diversity. Bottleneck effects and founder effects decrease diversity.

How do bottlenecks affect populations?

It decreases genetic variety, when natural events cause a generation of a species to decrease in a population

Population bottlenecks occur when a population's size is reduced for at least one generation. How does this affect the genetic variation of the population?

It reduces a population's genetic variation by a lot, even if the bottleneck doesn't last for long.

If fisheries continue fishing for the largest fish in the ocean, what will eventually happen to the fish size in future generations?

It will decrease b/c fish will adapt and a decrease in genetic variety

Diversity is common when there are more genetic differences. What are benefits a diversity?

Some benefits of diversity is disease resistance, parasite resistance, and greater chance of survival in case of environmental changes.

What will naturally happen to all lakes in the future?

Succession will turn all of them into forests or grassland.

What is the significance of the Cambrian Explosion?

The Cambrian Explosion created super continents and mass speciation.

If we keep over-fishing the biggest fishes of a population of a species, what will happen to their gene pool?

The big fish genes will diminish and the fish will continue to get smaller.

A fire reducing a large population of trees down to just a few individual trees is an example of

The bottleneck effect

The fossil remains of one species of terrestrial dinosaur are found both in South America and Africa which implies

The continents were once together as one big super continent

Why are energy pyramids shaped like pyramids?

They are shaped like pyramids because producers at the bottom produce the most energy and as you go up 90% of the energy transferred is lost each time, forming a pyramid shape.

How do predators keep ecosystems balanced?

They reduce the chances of over population, we humans have no natural predator, so we are over populating the Earth.

What do food webs show?

They show the relationships between organisms and the hierarchy in which they consume one another.

The Cenozoic Era is the present era of our time and small portion of Earth's geologic history. What does this suggest about the evolution of humans?

This suggests that humans have evolved very recently on Earth.

What would happen if the top predator of an ecosystem were removed?

This will lead to overpopulation of the prey population

Species a group of similar organisms that can mate and produce fertile offspring, adapt to survive changes. How does this happen?

Those without the genes needed to survive in the environment are killed off, leaving those with the favorable genes to be able to pass those genes on

Abiotic factors are nonliving factors in an ecosystem. What are some examples?

Water, Temperature, Soil, Light

Embryos of different species look alike, what does this mean?

We come from a common ancestor

Since proteins come from DNA we can compare similar proteins is different organisms. How do we do this?

We count the number of amino acids different between similar proteins the more differences the less related

Industrial Melanism was caused by humans. What is it?

When animals in industrial areas have darker fur, skin, feathers, etc b/c of factories polluting the area the animals must adapt.

What are the two ways the geologic processes that shape the Earth?

catastrophes and uniformitarism.

What do detritivores eat?

dead organisms at all trophic levels

What effects does genetic drift have on diversity?

it decreases diversity

In order to be considered the same species, what must two organisms be able to do?

reproduce

What are some graphs that show growth rate?

steady rate- no growth exponential curve- exponential growth logistic curve- growth with limited density dependent factors

What do you call a relationship that two different organisms living in proximity to one another share?

symbiotic relationship

Which biome has the most biodiversity? The least?

the most- rainforest the least- tundra

how do fossils record provide evidence of evolution?

they show that life on earth was once different from life found on earth today