Evolutionary Concepts and Strategies Flashcard

Front

What is the role of mutations in evolution?

Back

Mutations are the ultimate source of genetic variation.

Front

What condition is necessary for a population to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Back

Large population size.

Front

How does directional selection affect allele frequencies?

Back

It shifts allele frequencies in favor of one extreme phenotype.

Front

What distinguishes microevolution from macroevolution?

Back

Microevolution involves changes within a species, while macroevolution involves changes that lead to the formation of new species.

Front

How does the bottleneck effect influence genetic variation?

Back

It decreases genetic variation by reducing population size.

Front

Define natural selection.

Back

Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Front

What is genetic drift?

Back

Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies in a population.

Front

Explain the concept of gene flow.

Back

Gene flow is the transfer of genetic material between populations, which can increase genetic diversity.

Front

What is the significance of adaptive radiation?

Back

Adaptive radiation is the process by which organisms diversify rapidly into a variety of forms to adapt to different environments.

Front

Define speciation.

Back

Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species.