Natural Selection Review for AP Biology

Flashcards related to key concepts of natural selection and evolution from AP Biology Unit 7.

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass those traits to the next generation.

Descent with Modification

The principle that each living species has descended, with changes, from other species over time.

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem.

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

A principle stating that the allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of other evolutionary influences.

Genetic Drift

A change in allele frequencies in a population due to random sampling of organisms.

Founder Effect

A type of genetic drift that occurs when a small group from a larger population establishes a new population.

Bottleneck Effect

A sharp reduction in population size due to environmental events, leading to reduced genetic diversity.

Directional Selection

A type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over others, shifting the frequency of traits in a population.

Stabilizing Selection

A type of natural selection that favors intermediate variations of a trait.

Disruptive Selection

A type of natural selection that favors extreme phenotypes over intermediate ones.

Artificial Selection

The intentional reproduction of individuals in a population that have desirable traits.

Biogeography

The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems across geographical space and through geological time.

Morphological Evidence

Physical traits that indicate evolutionary relationships among species.

Biochemical Evidence

Evidence based on the molecular composition of organisms, including DNA and proteins.

Prezygotic Isolation

Barriers to reproduction that occur before fertilization, preventing the formation of a zygote.

Postzygotic Isolation

Barriers to reproduction that occur after fertilization, affecting the viability or fertility of the hybrid.

Speciation

The process through which new species arise.

Sympatric Speciation

The formation of new species in populations that live in the same geographic area.

Allopatric Speciation

The formation of new species in populations that are geographically isolated from one another.

AP Exam Strategies

Focus on spot-checking topics of trouble, practice multiple choice and free response questions, and prepare with mock exams.

Evidence of Evolution

Includes fossil records, comparative anatomy, molecular biology, and biogeography.

Lamarck's Theory

The incorrect idea that organisms can pass on traits acquired during their lifetime to their offspring.