Evolutionary Biology: Selection, Breeding, and Evolutionary Scales

Vocabulary flashcards covering the conditions for natural selection, artificial selection, inbreeding and outbreeding, and the distinction between microevolution and macroevolution.

Requirements for Natural Selection

The conditions necessary for natural selection: there must be inherited variations of traits, and there must be differential survival and reproduction associated with the possession of that trait.

Artificial Selection

Selection that acts on phenotypic characteristics to retain or eliminate the genotype for the characteristic; it may oppose, amplify, or be neutral in relation to natural selection.

Inbreeding

The mating together of closely related organisms, such as mother/son or father/daughter mating.

Outbreeding

Breeding that takes place between two unrelated parents, which ensures that new traits are introduced and the gene pool expands.

Microevolution

Small variations that take place within a species.

Macroevolution

The major evolutionary transition from one type of organism to another occurring at the level of the species and higher taxa.

Natural selection

This is the constant selection of better adapted and stronger individuals

Mutation

This is the change in DNA that can cause changes to the genotypes and phenotypes in a population and can therefore increase variation

Gene flow

This is the physical flow of alleles onto and out of a population

Bottlenecks

This is when a normally large population is drastically reduced in size due to unfavorable conditions

Founder effect

Anther name for genetic flow

Genetic flow

The change in the relative abundance of different alleles through successive generations of a population

Origin science

Thus works with intelligent deductions of the origins of the past. It cannot be proven as it happened only once and cannot be repeated

Operation science

This works with repeatable, detectable processes that can be seen in the present

Scientific law

A statement of fact meant to explain, in concise terms, an action or set of actions

Scientific theory

A combination of explanations or models that try to make sense of a large number of facts and observations about the natural world

Hypothesis

A supposition made as a basis for reasoning, without assuming it to be true. An educated guess

Allopatric speciation

This is a common way for species to form when the population becomes geographically isolated

Sympatric speciation

This is the formation of new species where there is no separation by physical barriers