Key Biological Concepts and Evolutionary Principles

These flashcards cover fundamental concepts in biology and evolutionary principles necessary for understanding key topics in preparation for the exam.

Sexual Selection

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

Bateman's Principle

The concept that the sex that invests more in offspring (usually females) is more selective when choosing mates.

Intrasexual Selection

Competition between individuals of the same sex for access to mates.

Intersexual Selection

The process where one sex, usually females, selects mates based on certain desirable traits.

Reproductive Variance

The differences in reproductive success among individuals, often higher in males.

Frequency Dependent Selection

A selection process where the success of a phenotype depends on its frequency relative to other phenotypes.

Trade-off Hypothesis

The idea that being virulent helps a pathogen spread, but high virulence can lead to the host's quick death, limiting transmission.

Phenotypic Plasticity

The ability of one genotype to produce different phenotypes depending on environmental conditions.

Kin Selection

A form of natural selection that favors altruistic behaviors toward relatives to increase the likelihood of shared genes being passed on.

Reaction Norms

Graphs that depict how a phenotype varies as a function of environmental conditions.