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Questions and Answers
What is a vestigial structure?
What is a vestigial structure?
- A feature that is adaptive for the organism's ancestor and still functional
- A feature that was adaptive for the organism's ancestor but evolved to be non-functional (correct)
- A feature that has no connection to the organism's ancestor
- A new feature that enhances the organism's survival
What does echolocation in bats help them do?
What does echolocation in bats help them do?
- Evade predators
- Catch insects (correct)
- Survive in extreme temperatures
- Mimic leaves
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an adaptation in the text?
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an adaptation in the text?
- Presence of eyes in fish living in dark caves (correct)
- Production of toxins by creosote bush
- Mimicry of leaves by insects
- Echolocation in bats
Which of the following is described as reducing competition for nutrients and water?
Which of the following is described as reducing competition for nutrients and water?
What is a behavior that might be considered an adaptation?
What is a behavior that might be considered an adaptation?
Why did fish living in dark caves end up with nonfunctional eyes?
Why did fish living in dark caves end up with nonfunctional eyes?
Why is sexual selection considered powerful?
Why is sexual selection considered powerful?
In sexual selection, what happens to an individual who lives long but doesn't produce offspring?
In sexual selection, what happens to an individual who lives long but doesn't produce offspring?
How does male competition play a role in sexual selection?
How does male competition play a role in sexual selection?
What is a common behavior in male damselflies during mating?
What is a common behavior in male damselflies during mating?
Why is it important for individuals to leave behind offspring in terms of gene transmission?
Why is it important for individuals to leave behind offspring in terms of gene transmission?
What factor did Maydianne focus on in relation to the male redback spiders' mating behavior?
What factor did Maydianne focus on in relation to the male redback spiders' mating behavior?
What is the median mating duration for second males that are not cannibalized?
What is the median mating duration for second males that are not cannibalized?
What is indicated by the upward slope of the regression line on the plotted data?
What is indicated by the upward slope of the regression line on the plotted data?
What percentage of eggs would self-sacrificing males be expected to father based on the data?
What percentage of eggs would self-sacrificing males be expected to father based on the data?
What aspect of male redback spiders' behavior seems to be shaped by sexual selection according to the text?
What aspect of male redback spiders' behavior seems to be shaped by sexual selection according to the text?
What could potentially increase confidence in the interpretation of the data according to the text?
What could potentially increase confidence in the interpretation of the data according to the text?
What type of mutations are important for the evolution of life’s diversity?
What type of mutations are important for the evolution of life’s diversity?
What is the impact of a mutation that occurs in a stretch of DNA with no function?
What is the impact of a mutation that occurs in a stretch of DNA with no function?
Which type of mutation does Marfan syndrome result from?
Which type of mutation does Marfan syndrome result from?
What is the outcome of detrimental mutations known as lethals?
What is the outcome of detrimental mutations known as lethals?
What is one possible effect of a mutation occurring in a protein-coding region but not affecting the amino acid sequence of the protein?
What is one possible effect of a mutation occurring in a protein-coding region but not affecting the amino acid sequence of the protein?
Why are mutations in reproductive cells like eggs and sperm considered important for evolution?
Why are mutations in reproductive cells like eggs and sperm considered important for evolution?
What do squirrels have a difficult time with in relation to pinecones?
What do squirrels have a difficult time with in relation to pinecones?
Why do Crossbill birds not get as many pine seeds as squirrels?
Why do Crossbill birds not get as many pine seeds as squirrels?
In places without red squirrels, who becomes the most important seed predator for lodgepoles?
In places without red squirrels, who becomes the most important seed predator for lodgepoles?
How do Crossbill birds counteract the challenge of extracting seeds from tough pine cones?
How do Crossbill birds counteract the challenge of extracting seeds from tough pine cones?
What ecological relationships set the stage for coevolution to potentially occur?
What ecological relationships set the stage for coevolution to potentially occur?
What evidence is needed to suggest coevolution has occurred between the prey and predator in this scenario?
What evidence is needed to suggest coevolution has occurred between the prey and predator in this scenario?
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Study Notes
Mutations and Evolution
- Mutations that affect the individual carrying them but are not passed directly on to offspring do not contribute to the evolution of life's diversity.
- Only germline mutations, which occur in reproductive cells like eggs and sperm, can be passed on to offspring and affect evolution.
Effects of Mutations
- A single germline mutation can have a range of effects, including:
- No effect or neutral effect: the mutation does not have a noticeable effect on the organism.
- Detrimental effect: the mutation harms an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.
- Lethal effect: the mutation disrupts DNA critical to survival and causes the death of the organism.
Sexual Selection
- Sexual selection can shape male behavior, such as self-sacrificial mating behavior in male redback spiders.
- In this case, males that allow themselves to be eaten by the female mate for longer and father more eggs, increasing their fitness.
- Sexual selection is powerful because individuals who do not produce offspring do not pass on their genes to the next generation.
Adaptations
- Adaptations are features that have evolved to improve an organism's ability to survive and reproduce.
- Examples of adaptations include:
- Mimicry of leaves by insects to evade predators.
- Echolocation in bats to catch insects.
- The creosote bush's production of toxins to prevent other plants from growing nearby.
- Vestigial structures, such as non-functional eyes in fish that live in completely dark caves, are not adaptations.
Coevolution
- Coevolution occurs when two species, such as predator and prey, evolve in response to each other.
- An example of coevolution is the relationship between crossbill birds and lodgepole pine trees, where the birds have evolved deeper, shorter, less curved bills to extract seeds from tough cones.
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