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These flashcards cover essential concepts related to natural selection, sexual selection, speciation, genetic drift, and phylogenetics.
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Natural Selection
The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
Variation in a Trait
Differences in characteristics among individuals in a population which are crucial for natural selection.
Heritability
The proportion of trait variation attributable to genetic differences.
Agent of Selection
An environmental factor that affects the survival and reproduction of organisms, such as predators or climate.
Adaptation
A heritable trait that enhances an organism's fitness in its environment.
Directional Selection
A type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over the others.
Stabilizing Selection
A type of natural selection that favors intermediate variants and acts against extreme phenotypes.
Common Garden Experiment
A method used to distinguish between genetic and environmental influences on trait variation.
Sexual Selection
A form of natural selection where individuals with certain inherited characteristics are more likely than others to obtain mates.
Male-Male Competition
Intra-sexual selection where males compete for female attention, often leading to evolved traits such as larger size or weaponry.
Direct Benefits of Female Choice
Advantages that female organisms receive from choosing male partners, such as protection or resources.
Reproductive Isolation
A condition that prevents gene flow between populations, crucial for the process of speciation.
Genetic Drift
Random fluctuations in allele frequencies in small populations that can lead to significant changes over time.
Gene Flow
The transfer of genetic material between populations which can introduce new genetic variation.
Phylogenetic Trees
Diagrams that represent evolutionary relationships among species, indicating common ancestors and speciation events.