Natural selection
difference in fitness of individuals leads causes some phenotypes (and thus their genes) to outcompete others
Descent with Modification
the passing of traits from parents to offspring
Mary Anning
British naturalist that discovered several species of extinct marine reptile
How mutations lead to evolutionary change
mutations provide the genetic variation; selection pressures can act on differences in phenotypes and subsequent differences in fitness allows for changes in allele frequencies, and thus evolution
Convergent evolution
the independent evolution of similar traits in separate lineages
Horizontal gene transfer
transfer of genetic material to another organism (other than parent to offspring)
Synapomorphy
derived form of a trait that is inherited from a common ancestor
Artificial selection
the selective breeding of animals and plants to encourage the occurrence of desirable traits
Zoonosis
transfer of disease between animals and humans
Viral reassortment
genetic material from different viral strains is mixed into new combinations within a single cell
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
adaptation through inheritance of acquired changes; spontaneous generation; life evolved from simplicity to complexity
Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species
theory of evolution by natural selection
Homologous trait
similar trait that is inherited from a common ancestor
Analogous trait
serves the same function but differs in anatomy; evolved independently
Tetrapod evolution and divergence
evolved from lobe finned fish (load bearing limbs)
Phylogeny
visual representation of the evolutionary history of populations, genes, or species
Cladogram
shows relationships among species
Clade
represents an organism and all its descendants (a single branch in the tree of life)
Monophyletic
a common ancestor and all its descendants; forms a clade
Polyphyletic
a group that does not share an immediate common ancestor
Paraphyletic
a group that shares a common ancestor but doesn’t include all its descendants
Homoplasy
a character state similarity NOT due to shared descent
Meiosis generates genetic variation by
genetic recombination (crossing over) and independent assortment
Phenotypic plasticity
a single genotype produces multiple phenotypic possibilities in different environments
Post-mating (pre-zygotic) reproductive barrier
impedes gene flow after sperm has been transferred but before fertilization
Pre-mating (pre-zygotic) reproductive barrier
impedes gene flow before sperm can be transferred
Post-zygotic reproductive barrier
acts after a zygote is beginning to develop
Two-Fold Cost of Sex
disadvantages of being sexual (half the reproductive rate of asexual species)
Allopatric speciation
evolution of new species after populations have been separated geographically
Sympatric speciation
evolution of new species within a contiguous population with no physical barriers
Stabilizing selection
favors individuals in the middle of the distribution of phenotypes in a population
Directional selection
favors individuals on one end of the distribution of phenotypes in a population
Disruptive selection
favors individuals at the tails of the distribution of phenotypes in a population
Anisogamy
sexual reproduction involving the fusion of two dissimilar gametes
Ecological speciation
evolution of reproductive barriers between populations by adaptation to different environments or ecological niches
Red Queen Hypothesis
in a coevolving population each population must constantly adapt to the other to maintain relative fitness
Operational Sex Ratio
the ratio of male to female individuals who are available for reproducing at any given time.
Direct benefits
benefit that affects female directly (food, nest sites, protection)
Indirect benefits
benefit that affects genetic quality of female’s offspring
Antagonistic pleiotropy
a mutation with beneficial effects for one trait also causes detrimental effects on other traits
Nuptial gifts
nutritional gifts given by one partner during courtship and mating
Muller’s Ratchet
genomes of an asexual population accumulate deleterious mutations in an irreversible manner
Hardy-Weinberg
in the absence of drift, selection, migration, and mutation, allele frequencies will not change from one generation to the next
Bottleneck Effect
an event in which the number of individuals in a population is reduced drastically
Founder Effect
a small number of individuals leave a larger population and colonize a new habitat
Negative Frequency-Dependent Selection
occurs when rare genotypes have higher fitness than common genotypes; can maintain genetic variation within populations
Heterozygote Advantage
selection favors heterozygote individuals
Inbreeding depression
a reduction in the average fitness of inbred individuals relative to that of outbred individuals
Variance Components of a Quantitative Trait
additive genetic variance, dominance effects of alleles, epistatic interactions, environmental effects
Reaction norm
the pattern of phenotypic expression of a single genotype across a range of environments (often expressed in a graph)
Broad sense heritability (H^2)
proportion of the total phenotypic variance of a trait that is attributable to genetic variance, which is represented as a single value
Narrow sense heritability (h^2)
proportion of the total phenotypic variance of a trait attributable to the additive effects of alleles
Selection differential (S)
strength of phenotypic selection
Breeder’s Equation
R=h^2 x S evolutionary response equals the product of narrow sense heritability and selection differential
Ring species
a connected series of neighboring populations around a geographic barrier that can interbreed but the populations where the range meets around at the end of the barrier are reproductively isolated
Genetic linkage (or linked genes)
genes located near each other on a chromosome tend to be inherited together
Selective sweep
where strong selection can “sweep” a favorable allele to fixation within a population so fast that there is little opportunity for recombination
Preexisting sensory bias
biases in the female sensory system that existed prior to the evolution of the preferred trait
Sexual conflict
evolution of phenotypic characteristics that give a fitness benefit to one sex but a fitness cost to the other
Parental investment
may come at the expense of other reproductive options; females benefit from investing more bc they produce large nutrient filled eggs and certainty of maternity
Intersexual selection
sexual selection that occurs between two sexes (female choice)
Intrasexual selection
members of the same sex compete for mates (male-male competition)
Marie Curie
discovered radium; radioactive decay
Alfred Russel Wallace
father of biogeography; co-discovered theory of evolution