Ecology Exam 1

ecology

a study of the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms

evolution

change in the heritable characteristics of populations over time

Ecology and evolution are intricately linked, ecological interactions and opportunities often drive

evolution

Patterns of ecology and evolution include

1. modification with descent, 2. fit of form and function, and 3. the distribution and abundance of organisms

Processes in ecology and evolution include

1. Natural selection, 2. competition, and 3. predation

Darwins book is called

the origin of species

T/F - Darwin was not the first to promote the idea that life evolved

True

T/F - The ancient Greeks were the first to promote the idea that life evolved

True

Natural selection

a feasible mechanism for how evolution occurs

When Darwin published his theory of evolution he had what

a large amount of evidence acquired through many years of detailed observations of living things

Who and who independently suggested that natural selection drives adaptive evolution

Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace

Who gets the most credit for natural selection

Darwin

Darwin's three postulates

1. Heritable variation, 2. Struggle for existence (limited resources), and 3. Heritable variation influences the struggle

Every species is capable of reproducing meaning all species should be growing exponentially, this is not the case which explains why there is

a struggle for existance (competition for resources)

heritable variation influences the struggle (one of Darwin's postulates) this is a fancy way of saying

there is adaptation overtime that is passed in genes

survival and reproduction are tied together why

you have to survive until you are sexually mature and can reproduce

Traits can target \_________ success or \___________ success

survival, reproduction

reproductive success can, but doesn't always, decrease \_______________ success

survival

What is the result of natural selection

Changes in trait frequencies in a population over time

sexual selection is a subsection of

natural selection that only favors sexual selection

Evolutionary fitness

the capability of an individual to reproduce successfully

T/F - Evolution happens to individuals

False

the result of natural selection is seen in

populations

The way you quantify fitness is through a study where you compare the proportion of the individual's genes to all genes of

the next generation

Fitness is hard to measure/describe in animals like \______________ but easy to measure/describe in things such as \_________

elephants; viruses

Fitness is determined by \__________ in a given environment and thus a property of the individual organism

Phenotype

\____________ are the target of selection indirectly via phenotypes

genotypes

Phenotypes can be

1. morphological, 2. physiological, or 3. behavioral

adaptation

changes in behavior, physiology, and structure of an organism to become more suited to an environment

\________ are patterns that result from the \_________ of natural selection

adaptations; process

\__________ get selected but its consequences occur in \__________

traits; populations

Traits

properties of individuals

Natural selection targets \___________ but only the heritable component of \__________ evolve

phenotypes; phenotypes

Natural selection is \___________ looking

backward

Teleological

Has a goal, forward looking, has a purpose

T/F - Natural selection is a weeding out process not a creating process

True

T/F - Natural selection does produce new variation

False

T/F - Natural selection is perfect

False

T/F - natural selection is random

False

T/F - traits evolve because they are needed

False

T/F - random mutations provide new alleles

True

T/F - genetic variation is mostly hidden

True

T/F - Natural selection typically acts on individuals, not groups

True

T/F - Fitness is circular (survival of the survivors)

False

Performance

defined independent of simply observing persistence or traits

Fitness is always defined in the context of the

environment

T/F - Darwin knew the mechanism that generates heritable variation

False

What is the mechanism that generates heritable variation

mutation

The combination of Darwinism and genetics came to be known as

Neo-darwinism

the architects of neo-darwinism included

Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, and Julian Huxley

Adaptationism

Emphasizing natural selection as the MOST important mechanism of evolution

\_______________ is characterized as an unsubstantiated assumption that all or most traits are optimal adaptions

Adaptationsim

Critics of adaptationists have

1. over-emphasized the power of natural selection to shape traits to an evolutionary optimum, and 2. Ignored the role of developmental constraints and other factors to explain extant morphological and behavioral traits

Adaptation should only be applied when

1. The trait is a variation of an earlier form, 2. The trait is heritable, and 3. The trait enhances reproductive success

Critics forced \______________ to be more critical and rigorous with their own hypotheses

adaptationists

Adaptationism is the most productive and influential research program in evolution with notable contributions for what

neurobiology, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary psychology

Macroclimate

large scale weather variation

microclimate

small scale weather variation usually measured over a shorter time period

the two main factors that contribute to climates and survival are

temperature and water

Aspect has an affect on \_____________, the \____________ that boulders or cliffs face matters

temperature, direction

South facing boulders or cliffs are

drier and warmer

North facing boulders of cliffs are

colder and more wet

Different landscapes/vegetations have \______________ temperatures even if they are in the same \_______________

different; macroclimate

in microclimates a higher altitude tells us what about the temperature

lower temperature

in microclimates what does aspect have to offer

contrasting environments

\_________ colors absorb more visible light

Darker

\______________ create shaded or cooler environments

boulders and burrows

water has 2 capacities which are

kinetic and potential

in aquatic temperatures, specific heat

absorbs heat without large change in temperature

In aquatic temperatures latent heat of evaporation is

580 cal to evaporate 1 g of water

in aquatic temperatures latent heat of fusion is

1 g of water gives off 80 cal as it freezes

\_____________ vegetation influences stream temperature by providing shade

riparian

Most enzymes have rigid, predictable shape at \______ temperatures

low

low \______________________ cause low reaction rates

temperatures

Excessively high temperatures \______________ the shape

destroy

Extreme temperatures usually reduce the rate of \______________

photosynthesis

Different plants have different

optimal temperatures

Acclimation

physiological changes in response to temperature

Psychrophilic

cold loving bacteria

density of water decreases as it

freezes

Thermophilic

heat loving bacteria

Poikilotherms

body temperature varies directly with environmental temperature

ectotherms

rely mainly on external energy sources

endotherms

rely heavily on metabolic energy

homeotherms

maintain a relatively constant internal environment

Temperature regulation by desert plants

they must reduce heat storage

You can reduce heat storage by \___________ heating via conduction, \___________ convective cooling, and \___________ radiative heating

decrease, increase, reduce

How do arctic and alpine plants stay warm, \________________ radiative heating and \________________ convective cooling

Increase, decrease

thermal neutral zone

the range of environmental temperatures over which metabolic rate of a homeothermic animal does not change

lateral swimming muscles of many fish are well supplied with blood vessels that function as

countercurrent heat-exchangers

Almost all plants are \_____________________ \______________

poikilothermic ectotherms

poikilothermic ectotherms are

plants that can regulate their body temperature by storing starch in their roots that they metabolize over the harsh winter season

How to survive extreme temperature, become \__________, \_______________ metabolic rate, \____________ or \____________

inactive, reduce, hibernate, estivate

Inactivity

seek shelter during extreme periods

hibernation occurs in the

winter

estivation occurs in the

summer

How do water and temperature move

down a concentration gradient

gradients determine what

whether an organism loses or gains water

T/F - As water vapor in the air increases, the water concentration gradient between organisms and air is reduced and evaporative loss is decreased

True

where is water lost in terrestrial organisms

evaporation