Evolutionary Biology – Exam 3 Vocabulary Review

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Vocabulary flashcards covering evolutionary theory, phylogenetics, and population-genetics concepts for Exam 3.

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27 Terms

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Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium

A theoretical state in which allele and genotype frequencies remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of evolutionary forces; needed to infer heterozygote or homozygote frequencies from allele frequencies.

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Natural Selection (Darwin)

Process whereby individuals with heritable traits better suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully, driving evolutionary change.

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Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics (Lamarck)

Discredited idea that traits gained during an organism’s lifetime can be passed to offspring.

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Uniformitarianism (Hutton)

Geologic principle that Earth’s features result from continuous, slow processes occurring over vast time periods.

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Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution

Theory holding that most DNA sequence changes are caused by random genetic drift of neutral mutations rather than by natural selection.

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Kimura’s Fixation Rule

Statement that the rate of fixation of neutral mutations equals the mutation rate (μ) and is independent of population size (N).

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Adaptive Radiation

Rapid diversification of a single ancestral lineage into many species adapted to different ecological niches.

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Monophyletic Group

A clade containing an ancestor and all of its descendants.

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Paraphyletic Group

A group containing an ancestor and some, but not all, of its descendants.

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Polyphyletic Group

A set of organisms that do not share an immediate common ancestor within the group; members have different evolutionary origins.

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Homology

Similarity in structure or genetics resulting from shared ancestry.

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Analogy

Similarity in traits due to convergent evolution or similar selective pressures, not common ancestry.

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Homologous Trait

A characteristic inherited from a common ancestor that may have diverged in function over time.

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Convergent Evolution

Independent evolution of similar traits in distantly related lineages due to similar environmental pressures.

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Divergent Evolution

Accumulation of differences between closely related populations, leading to speciation.

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Artificial Selection

Human-directed breeding for desired traits in plants or animals.

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Directional Selection

Natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype, shifting allele frequencies toward that extreme.

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Stabilizing Selection

Selection that favors intermediate phenotypes and reduces variation at the extremes.

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Disruptive Selection

Selection that favors both extreme phenotypes over intermediate forms, potentially leading to bimodal traits.

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Sexual Selection

Selection for traits that improve mating success rather than survival.

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Intersexual Selection

Mate choice where one sex selects mates based on specific traits of the opposite sex (e.g., female choice of male displays).

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Intrasexual Selection

Competition among members of the same sex for access to mates (e.g., male–male combat).

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Gene Flow

Movement of alleles among populations through migration and breeding, reducing genetic differences between populations.

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Genetic Drift

Random changes in allele frequencies in small populations due to chance events.

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Bottleneck Effect

Genetic drift resulting from a sharp reduction in population size, causing allele frequencies to differ from the original population.

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Founder Effect

Genetic drift that occurs when a small number of individuals colonize a new area, leading to a gene pool different from the source population.

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Genetic Polymorphism

Persistence of two or more distinct alleles in a population over time, maintaining genetic diversity.