All Flashcards
What are the basic steps of natural selection?
- Heritable Variation, 2. Differential Reproductive Success, 3. Adaptation.
Briefly describe how natural selection leads to adaptation.
Individuals with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more, making those traits more common in the population over time.
What is the effect of a changing environment on allele frequencies within a population?
It can lead to a shift in allele frequencies as natural selection favors different traits.
What is the effect of changes in daylight on the coat color of an arctic fox?
Changes in daylight regulate melatonin, which influences coat color, causing it to change from white in winter to brown/gray in summer.
What is the effect of differential reproductive success?
Traits that lead to higher survival and reproduction become more common in the population.
What are the key differences between genotype and phenotype?
Genotype: Genetic makeup (alleles) | Phenotype: Physical expression of genes (observable traits).
What are the key differences between natural selection and phenotypic plasticity?
Natural Selection: Acts over generations, changes allele frequencies. | Phenotypic Plasticity: Rapid, within-lifetime changes in phenotype.
Compare and contrast how natural selection and phenotypic plasticity contribute to adaptation.
Both help organisms adapt to changing environments. Natural selection acts over generations through changes in allele frequencies, while phenotypic plasticity allows for rapid, within-lifetime adjustments.