Lecture 1 - Introduction and Evolutionary Perspective

What is the definition of evolution?

The change in allele frequencies of a population over generations.

What are the five levels of ecology?

1. Biosphere - global processes

2. Ecosystem - energy flux and cycling of nutrients

3. Community - interactions among populations

4. Population - population dynamics; the unit of evolution

5. Organism - Survival and reproduction; the unit of natural selection

Behavior is known as what?

An adaptation.

Adaptation is what?

A trait that improves fitness.

Fitness is what?

The ability to survive and reproduce in a given environment.

What is ecology?

Role of behavior in interactions among individuals and with the environment.

Behavioral Ecology:

1. Often uses proxies (substitutes) for fitness to demonstrate adaptation

2. Beneficial alleles spread and deleterious alleles are lost

3. Be careful about assumptions to do with adaptation