Key Concepts in Evolutionary Biology: Terms, Definitions, and Theories, Quizzes of Theory of Evolution

Download Key Concepts in Evolutionary Biology: Terms, Definitions, and Theories and more Quizzes Theory of Evolution in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Scientific Theory DEFINITION 1 An explanation of a set of related observations or events based uponproven hypotheses and veried multiple times by detached groups of researchers TERM 2 Theory of Evolution DEFINITION 2 Evolution by natural selection is a process that is inferred from three factsabout populations: more offspring are produced than can possibly survive, traits vary among individuals, leading to different rates of survival and reproduction, and trait differences areheritable TERM 3 Law of Superposition DEFINITION 3 Older layers of sediment are covered by younger layers TERM 4 Theory of Uniformitarianism DEFINITION 4 Geological processes operated in the past as they do today TERM 5 Law of Succession DEFINITION 5 Layers can be identified by the fossils they contain. (Older layers means older fossils & Younger layers means younger fossils) TERM 6 Theory of Catastrophism DEFINITION 6 The Earth and geological features had formed suddenly, as a result of one (or several) great catastrophe. TERM 7 The Theory of Adaptation DEFINITION 7 An organism can acquire characteristics during its lifetime and pass them on to its offspring. TERM 8 Lamarck (Lamarck vs Darwin-Wallace) DEFINITION 8 Change is made by what the organisms want or need Acquired characters by an individual are transmitted to the offspring Increasing complexity - Plan No extinction TERM 9 Darwin-Wallace (Lamarck vs Darwin-Wallace) DEFINITION 9 Variation exists naturally in populations(although it may be created by use or disuse) Successful individuals pass the characters to the offspring Differential survival - No plan: "blind" process Extinction TERM 10 The Theory of Descent with Modification DEFINITION 10 Individuals within species are variable Some of these variations are passed on to their offspring they are hereditable In every generation, more offspring are produced than can survive to reproduce The survival and reproduction are non random individuals carrying specic variations survive and reproduce the most They are naturally selected! TERM 21 The Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium DEFINITION 21 The allele frequencies in a population will not change generationafter generation There is no selection There is no mutation There is no migration There is no chance events or population is infinite all individuals contribute gametes proportionally Individuals choose mates at random no evolution TERM 22 Effective Population Size DEFINITION 22 The actual number of individuals that contribute alleles to the next generation The calculation depends on the male:female sex ratio TERM 23 Overdominance DEFINITION 23 In which heterozygotes have higher fitness that either homozygote TERM 24 Frequency-dependent selection DEFINITION 24 When the fitness of individuals depends on the frequency of their phenotype in the population TERM 25 Protein function DEFINITION 25 Catalyzing chemical reactions (enzymes) Conferring rigidity to biological components Altering the permeability of the cell membrane Participate in the process of cell signaling andsignal transduction TERM 26 Mutant DEFINITION 26 an individual, organism or new genetic character resulting from an instance of mutation TERM 27 Mutation DEFINITION 27 Changes to the genetic material (either DNA or RNA) Create variation in the gene pool the less favorable mutations are removed from the gene pool by natural selection, while more favorable ones are accumulated TERM 28 Types of Mutations DEFINITION 28 Point mutations, Gene duplications, Chromosome inversions, Polyploidy TERM 29 Point Mutations DEFINITION 29 Base pair substitutions in DNA sequences Chance errors during DNA synthesis or during repair of damaged DNA Creates new alleles non-synonymous & synonymous TERM 30 Non-synonymous DEFINITION 30 First or Second codon position mutations TERM 31 Synonymous DEFINITION 31 Many (but not all) third codon position mutations TERM 32 Gene duplications DEFINITION 32 Duplications of a short stretch of DNA creating an extra copy of the sequence Unequal crossing-over during meiosis or retrotransposition Redundant new genes may acquire new functions by mutation TERM 33 Chromosome Inversion DEFINITION 33 Flipping of a chromosome segment so order of genes along the chromosome changes Breaks in DNA caused by radiation or other insults Alleles inside the inversion are likely to be transmitted together as a unit Can produce supergenes TERM 34 Supergene DEFINITION 34 a group of neighboring genes on a chromosome which are inherited together because of close genetic linkage TERM 35 Polyploidy DEFINITION 35 Addition of a complete set of chromosomes May create new species; massive gene duplication