Biological Diversity and Evolutionary Processes

What question does Module 3 of Biological Diversity address regarding environmental pressures?

How do environmental pressures promote a change in species diversity and abundance?

What are selection pressures in the context of organisms in ecosystems?

Factors that affect the survival and reproduction of an organism.

What are the biotic selection pressures that affect organisms?

Availability/abundance of food, number of competitors, number of mates, number of predators, and variety of disease-causing organisms.

What are the abiotic selection pressures that affect organisms?

Temperature, weather events, light availability, aridity, oxygen availability, soil moisture, pH of soil and water, and pressure.

What is the impact of the cactoblastis moth on prickly pear in Australia?

The cactoblastis moth was introduced to control the prickly pear, which had grown out of control due to a lack of selection pressures.

What is a significant reproductive characteristic of cane toads?

Cane toads can lay up to 30,000 eggs per female.

What adaptations enhance an organism's ability to survive?

Structural adaptations, physiological adaptations, and behavioral adaptations.

What are structural adaptations?

Physical features of an organism that enhance survival, such as kangaroos' powerful legs.

What are physiological adaptations?

Internal body processes that help organisms survive, like desert frogs storing water.

What are behavioral adaptations?

Actions or behaviors that enhance survival, such as migration in humpback whales.

What is the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection?

The process by which species change over time through genetic changes that improve survival or reproduction.

What are the four key components of Darwin's theory of natural selection?

Variation, inheritance, selection pressures, and overproduction.

What is geographical isolation and how does it relate to speciation?

Geographical isolation occurs when populations are separated, leading to adaptation to different environments and potentially new species.

What is the difference between genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity?

Genetic diversity refers to variation within a species, species diversity refers to the variety of species in an ecosystem, and ecosystem diversity refers to the variety of habitats and ecological processes.

What is the difference between microevolution and macroevolution?

Microevolution involves small changes in populations over short periods, while macroevolution involves the evolution of new species over long periods.

What is divergent evolution?

When two groups of the same species evolve different traits due to selection pressures.

What is convergent evolution?

When unrelated species develop similar traits in response to similar environments.

What is punctuated equilibrium?

A model of evolution where long periods of stasis are interrupted by rapid changes.

What is gradualism in evolution?

A model of evolution where changes occur slowly over long periods of time.

What types of evidence support the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection?

Biochemical evidence, comparative anatomy, comparative embryology, and biogeography.

What are the different types of fossils?

Impression fossils, mineralized fossils, trace fossils, and mummified fossils.

How can the age of fossils be determined?

Through relative dating based on rock layers or absolute dating using methods like radiometric dating.

What modern-day example demonstrates evolutionary change in cane toads?

Cane toads are evolving longer legs to move and invade faster.

What is an example of antibiotic resistance in bacteria?

Bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment can divide and produce more resistant strains.