Unit 3

Study Guide Part 1 Fall 2009

Microevolution and Speciation
 Microevolution
• Learn the terms in the glossary.
• Questions 1- 26
 Question 1
• 1. ____?____ is genetic change in a line
of descent through successive
generations
 Answer 1
1. Evolution is genetic change in a line of
descent through successive generations.
 Question 2
• 2. _______ _______ practices yield
evidence that heritable changes do occur.
 Answer 2
2. Selective breeding practices yield
evidence that heritable changes do occur.
 Q-3
3. Results of artificial selection show that
extremes in _____ and _____ are
universally attainable in a relatively short
time period.
 Answer 3
• 3. Results of artificial selection show that
extremes in size and form are universally
attainable in a relatively short time period.
 Question 4
• 4. The selective breeding of dogs began
about ______ years ago.
 Answer 4
• 4. The domestication of dogs began about
14,000 years ago.
 Question 5
• 5. Which Greek philosopher developed
the concept, the “great chain of being”?
 Answer 5
• 5. Which Greek philosopher developed
the concept, the “great chain of being”?
• Aristotle
 Question 6
• 6. The notion that “all aspects of nature
can be traced to their underlying causes”
is attributed to _______ ?
 Answer 6
• 6. The notion that “all aspects of nature
can be traced to their underlying causes”
is attributed to Hippocrates ?
 Question 7
• 7. Cite two types of “confounding
evidence” that the great chain of being
does not explain.
 Answer 7
• 7. Cite two types of “confounding evidence” that the
great chain of being does not explain.

• Biogeography

• Comparative anatomy

• Geologic discoveries
 Question 8
• 8. _________ is the study of the
geographical patterns of plant and animal
species.
 Answer 8
• 8. Biogeography is the study of the
geographical patterns of plant and animal
species.
 Question 9
• 9. Name two biorealms and state where
they are located.
 Answer 9
• 9. Name two biorealms and state where they are
located.
• Palaeartic …… Europe - Siberia
• Nearctic ……… North America
• Neotropical …… Central and South America
• Afrotropical ……. Africa
• Indomalayan …… S.E. Asia
• Oceanian ……….. Pacific oceanic islands
• Australian ……….. Australia
• Antarctic ………….. Antarctica
 Question10
• 10. Cite a “puzzling problem” from
comparative anatomy.
 Answer 10
• 10. Cite a “puzzling problem” from comparative anatomy.
– Animals as different as whales and bats have similar bones
in forelimbs
or
– Some parts seem to have no function
 Question 11
• 11. Why is the Grand Canyon an excellent
laboratory for geologic studies?
 Answer 11
• 11. Why is the Grand Canyon an excellent
laboratory for geologic studies?

• The mile deep canyon provides access

to many layers of rock representing
about a billion years of earth history.
 Question 12
• 12. ______ (shallow/deeper) layers
contain _______(simpler/more complex)
fossils than shallow layers.
 Answer 12
12. Deeper layers contain simpler fossils
than shallow layers.
 Question 13
• 13. Some fossils seem to be related to
known ________.
 Answer 13
• 13. Some fossils seem to be related to
known species.
 Question 14
• 14. Georges Cuvier posited the idea of
________ ________ to explain multiple
extinction events (such as the Flood).
 Answer 14
• 14. Georges Cuvier posited the idea of
________ ________ to explain multiple
extinction events (such as the Flood).

• Georges Cuvier - multiple catastrophes

 Question 15
• 15. Lamarck was responsible for the
concept of the “______ of _______
characteristics”.
 Answer 15
• 15. Lamarck was responsible for the
concept of the “inheritance of acquired
characteristics”.
 Question 16
• 16. The English geologist,______, posited
the theory of Uniformity.
 Answer 16
• 16. The English geologist,Lyell, posited
the theory of Uniformity.
 Question 17
17. What was the name of the ship on which
Darwin sailed? (On a recent Georgia State
– wide test, this was the only question
concerning Darwin!!!).
 Answer 17
17. What was the name of the ship on which
Darwin sailed? (On a recent Georgia State
– wide test, this was the only question
concerning Darwin!!!).

HMS Beagle
 Question 18
18. What group of organisms most
influenced Darwin’s shaping of his theory
of natural selection? Why?
 Answer 18
18. What group of organisms most influenced
Darwin’s shaping of his theory of natural
selection? Why?

Galapagos finches

They were well isolated from the mainland and

seemed to be related through a line of common
descent.
 Question 19
• 19. What is the “Malthusian catastrophe”?
 Question 15
• 15. Lamarck was responsible for the
concept of the “______ of _______
characteristics”.
 Answer 19
• 19. what is the “Malthusian catastrophe”?

This occurs when a population exceeds its

available resources.
 Question 20
20. Of the following which is an inference?

Potential exponential increase in populations

(superfecundity)

Heritability of much of the individual variation

Differential survival and reproduction i.e. natural selection

 Answer 20
20. Of the following which is an inference?

Potential exponential increase in populations

(superfecundity)

Heritability of much of the individual variation

Differential survival and reproduction i.e. natural

selection
 Question 21
• 21. Biological evolution does not change
individuals/populations.
It changes individuals/ populations.
 Answer 21
• 21. Biological evolution does not change
individuals/populations.
It changes individuals/ populations.
 Question 22
• 22. Genetic resource that is shared (in
theory) by all members of population is the
______ _____.
 Answer 22
• 22. Genetic resource that is shared (in
theory) by all members of population is the
gene pool.
 Question 23
• 23. What determines alleles in new
individual? (state three)
 Answer 23
• 23. What determines alleles in new individual?
(state three)
• Mutation
• Crossing over at meiosis I
• Independent assortment
• Fertilization
• Change in chromosome number or structure
 Question 24
24. When is a population not evolving?
 Answer 24
24. When is a population not evolving?
• When it is in genetic equilibrium (that is
the gene frequencies are constant, not
changing).
 Question 25
• 25. What is the mathematical model that
measures genetic equilibrium?
 Answer 25
• 25. What is the mathematical model that measures
genetic equilibrium?

• Hardy-Weinburg Rule

p2 AA + 2pq Aa + q2 aa = 1

Frequency of allele A = p
Frequency of allele a = q
p+q=1
 Question 26
26. What are two types of natural selection
models? (there are three).
 Answer 26
• 26. What are two types of natural
selection models? (there are three).

• Stabilizing
• Directional
• Disruptive
 Speciation
• Learn the terms
• Questions 1 - 17
 Terms
• Learn the terms found in the glossary,
Speciation.
 Q -1
1. The process by which species are
formed is known as _______.
 A-1
1. The process by which species are
formed is known as
__speciation_______.
 Q – 2 and 3
• __________ is an accumulation of
differences in separated pools of alleles.
• The evolution of reproductive _______
__________ pave the way for genetic
divergence and speciation.
 A 2 and 3
• Genetic divergence______ __________
is an accumulation of differences in
separated pools of alleles. The evolution
of reproductive ___isolating
mechanisms_______ __________ pave
the way for genetic divergence and
speciation.
 Q4
• Be able to briefly define the major
categories of prezygotic and
postzygotic isolating mechanisms.
 A4
• Be able to briefly define the major categories of prezygotic and postzygotic isolating mechanisms.
• Prezygotic mechanisms take effect before or during fertilization.
• a. Behavioral Isolation: patterns of courtship may
be altered to the extent that sexual union is not achieved (for example: albatross courtship rituals).
• b. Temporal Isolation: different groups may not
be reproductively mature at the same season, or month, or year (for example: periodical cicadas).
• c. Mechanical Isolation: two populations are
mechanically isolated when differences in reproductive organs prevent successful interbreeding (for
example: floral arrangements in sage plants discriminate between different bee pollinators).
• d. Ecological Isolation: potential mates may be in
the same general area by not in the same habitat where they are likely to meet (for example: different
species of manzanita shrubs live at different altitudes and habitats).
• e. Gametic Mortality: incompatibilities between
egg and sperm prevent fertilization (for example: signals to pollen grains to begin growing toward the
egg).
• Postzygotic mechanisms take effect after fertilization.
• a. Sometimes fertilization does occur between
different species, but the hybrid embryo is weak and dies.
• b. In some instances the hybrids are vigorous but
sterile (example: mule produced by a male donkey and a female horse).
 Q 5, 6, 7, and 8
• ______ speciation occurs when daughter species form
gradually by divergence in the absence of gene flow
between geographically separate populations.
• In _______ speciation, daughter species arise,
sometimes rapidly, from a small proportion of
individuals within an existing population.
• There is evidence that polyploid animals are rare
because of a failed ________ compensation.
• When daughter species form from a small proportion
of individuals along a common border between two
populations, it is called _________ speciation
 A 5, 6, 7, and 8
• ____Allopatric______ speciation occurs when
daughter species form gradually by divergence in the
absence of gene flow between geographically separate
populations.
• In ___sympatric_______ speciation, daughter species
arise, sometimes rapidly, from a small proportion of
individuals within an existing population.
• There is evidence that polyploid animals are rare
because of a failed __dosage________
compensation.
• When daughter species form from a small proportion
of individuals along a common border between two
populations, it is called _parapatric_________
speciation
 Q9
• Explain why sympatric speciation by
polyploidy is a rapid method of
speciation.
•
 A9
• Explain why sympatric speciation by
polyploidy is a rapid method of speciation.
• Polyploidy is the
inheritance of three or more of each type of
chromosome due to improper separation of
chromosomes during meiosis or mitosis.
• Speciation is
instantaneous for plants that are polyploidy
because they can only pair up their
chromosomes with other identical
polyploids (prophase I).
 Q 10, 11, 12, and 13

1. In some cases of parapatric speciation, gene exchange

between two species is confined to a _________ zone.
• Explain why branches on an evolutionary tree that have
slight angles indicate the ________ model of speciation.
• Branches on an evolutionary tree that turn abruptly with 90-
degree turns are consistent with the ________ model of
speciation.
• An adaptive radiation is a burst of ________ from a single
lineage that give rise to many new species, each adapted to
an unoccupied or a new habitat or to using a novel resource.
 A 10, 11, 12, and 13
1. In some cases of parapatric speciation, gene
exchange between two species is confined to a
_hybrid_________ zone.
• Explain why branches on an evolutionary tree that
have slight angles indicate the __gradual________
model of speciation.
• Branches on an evolutionary tree that turn abruptly
with 90-degree turns are consistent with the
__punctuated________ model of speciation.
• An adaptive radiation is a burst of
__divergences________ from a single lineage that
give rise to many new species, each adapted to an
unoccupied or a new habitat or to using a novel
resource.
 Q 14
• Distinguish cladogenesis from
anagenesis.
 A 14
• Distinguish cladogenesis from
anagenesis.
• Cladogenesis applies
to populations that become isolated
from one another and subsequently
diverge in different directions.
• Anagenesis is a
pattern of descent in which species
form within a single, unbranched line.
 Q 15
• Be able to explain the use of
evolutionary tree diagrams and the
symbolism used.
•
 A 15
• Be able to explain the use of evolutionary tree
diagrams and the symbolism used.
• Evolutionary trees summarize
information about the continuity of relationship
among species.
• The gradual model of
speciation is represented by tree diagrams with
branches at slight angles to each other to show slow
change over time.
• The punctuation model of
speciation is drawn with short, horizontal branches
that represent abrupt periods of speciation followed
by stable periods.
 Q16
• Cite examples of adaptive zones.
 A 16
• Cite examples of adaptive zones.
• An adaptive zone is a set of ecological
niches that may be occupied by a
group of species that exploits the same
resources in a similar manner.
Examples: The sandy beach, the brook
bottom, etc
 Q 17

The fossil record shows twenty or more

________ extinctions.
 A 17
• The fossil record shows twenty or more
__mass ________ extinctions.