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Zika Pandemic

A viral pandemic linked to microcephaly and spread primarily through mosquitoes.

Flaviviruses

A large group of viruses that includes the Zika virus, known for causing various diseases.

Microcephaly

A medical condition where a child's head is significantly smaller than expected, often linked to Zika virus infection.

Evolutionary Change

Refers to the changes in genotype or phenotype frequencies within a population over time.

Antigenic Drift

Small genetic mutations in a virus that lead to changes in its surface proteins, affecting immune recognition.

Antigenic Shift

A major change in the flu virus resulting from the recombination of genetic material from different virus strains.

Phylogenetic Methods

Techniques used to trace the evolutionary history and relationships among species using genetic data.

Microevolution

Small-scale evolutionary changes typically observed in allele frequency within a population over generations.

Natural Selection

The process through which individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

A principle that states allele and genotype frequencies in a population remain constant in the absence of evolutionary influences.

Directional Selection

A type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over the others.

Disruptive Selection

A form of selection that favors individuals at both extremes of a phenotypic range.

Stabilizing Selection

Selection that favors intermediate variants and acts against extreme phenotypes.

Gene Flow

The transfer of alleles or genes from one population to another, influencing genetic diversity.

Heterozygote Advantage

A situation where heterozygous individuals have a higher fitness than homozygous individuals.

Allopatric Speciation

The formation of new species in populations that are geographically isolated from one another.

Sympatric Speciation

The evolution of new species from a single ancestral species while inhabiting the same geographic region.

Postzygotic Barriers

Reproductive barriers that occur after hybrid zygotes have formed, reducing their viability or reproductive capacity.

Punctuated Equilibria

The theory that species evolution is characterized by periods of rapid change followed by periods of stability.

Adaptive Radiation

A rapid evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor in response to the availability of new ecological niches.

Polyploidy

A condition in which an organism has extra sets of chromosomes, often leading to speciation in plants.

Homology

Similarity in structure or DNA sequences among different species due to common ancestry.

Convergent Evolution

The independent evolution of similar traits in species of different lineages, often as adaptations to similar environments.

Molecular Clock

A method for estimating the time of evolutionary events by comparing genetic differences between species.

Gene Duplication

The process by which a segment of DNA is copied, potentially leading to new gene functions and evolutionary changes.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

The transfer of genetic material between organisms other than through vertical transmission from parent to offspring.

Vestigial Structures

Remnants of features that served important functions in the organism's ancestors but are not used as such in later species.

Sexual Selection

A form of natural selection where individuals with certain inherited traits are more likely than others to obtain mates.

Bateman's Principles

The theory that males can increase their reproductive success by mating with multiple females, while females typically invest more in fewer offspring.

Speciation

The process through which new species arise from existing ones.

Isolation Mechanisms

Factors that prevent different species from interbreeding, leading to speciation.

Adaptation

A trait that improves an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

Genetic Drift

Random changes in allele frequencies in a population, due to chance events.

Founder Effect

Genetic differences that occur when a small group breaks away from a larger population to form a new one.

Extinction

The end of an organism or a group of organisms, often resulting from environmental changes or competition.

Biogeography

The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.

Ecological Niche

The role and position a species has in its environment, including all its interactions.

Co-evolution

The process by which two or more species influence each other's evolutionary path.

Mimicry

The phenomenon where one species evolves to resemble another species to gain an advantage, such as protection from predators.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem that affect the life of organisms, such as competition, predation, and symbiosis.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living physical and chemical components of an environment, including sunlight, temperature, water, and soil.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Trophic Levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, representing the flow of energy and nutrients from producers to various levels of consumers.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance, often crucial for maintaining the structure of an ecosystem.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems, including provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services.

Biomagnification

The process where concentrations of toxins increase at each trophic level in a food chain.

Succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Endemism

The ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location.