Africa Storyline: Lessons 7-9

fitness

ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment

natural selection

The gradual process by which inheritable traits change in a population because of pressure from their environment.

stabilizing selection

individuals with the average form of a trait have the highest fitness

directional selection

occurs when natural selection favors one of the extreme variations of a trait (has the highest fitness)

disruptive selection

those individuals at both extreme versions of the trait have the highest fitness

variation

difference in physical traits between individuals of the same species.

biodiversity

the variety of living organisms in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

niche

an organism's role in its environment

niche partitioning

the process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist

spatial niche partitioning

similar resource used but in a slightly different physical area

dietary niche partitioning

organisms separate resources by what they eat

niche partitioning by time

a similar resource is used but is used at different times

niche partitioning by height

a similar resource is divided up by height