Part 1 What is Evolution Exam III Preparation Be able to define the term biodiversity Know the four important questions for which evolution is part of the hypothesis Be able to define evolution generations Change in heritable characteristics in biological populations across Know what a characteristic and a trait are see lectures from previous sections and what it means that a characteristic is heritable Why must characteristics be heritable in order for them to evolve They must be heritable because traits that are not passed down from parent to offspring will disappear when the parent dies Part 1 What is Evolution Be able to define selective breeding and understand how this shows that populations of organisms can change through selection of traits The chooser of traits in this case are the human breeders Know what Darwin s most important contribution to evolution is natural selection and what that means for how evolution occurs It means that the breeder the thing that chooses which traits and characteristics are passed on is not a person but nature itself Don t forget that there are video links that can help you to see this visually as well Part 2 Natural Selection Be able to define natural selection and understand the process of selection from the recap Process The population has a diversity of traits that is determined by its genetic diversity be able to define these terms in orange Why Because as we learned in the genetics unit genes are the most important factor in determining what our traits are Selection occurs Beneficial traits help organisms survive better greater chance of reproduction more kids means beneficial trait becomes more common Detrimental traits hurt organism s survival or kill it does not reproduce or reproduces less fewer kids means detrimental trait becomes less common The change in the traits of the population in the next generation is evolution What are the two sources of diversity of traits New traits arise from random DNA changes mutations that happen when cells copy their DNA Existing traits are rearranged into new combinations In sexually reproducing organisms half of genes from mother and father Remember that mutations do not occur because of selection Mutations occur first making new traits and THEN those traits are selected If that trait is beneficial then it evolves to become more common Part 2 Natural Selection Understand how it is that nature environment can select traits The idea of economist Malthus populations grow faster than their supply of resources in the environment in which they live The idea of Darwin When the population outgrows its resources there is a struggle for existence where organisms must compete with each other for resources The supply of resources space food light oxygen etc is determined by the environment and not by a human breeder and thus populations are naturally selected by the environment itself Part 2 Natural Selection Know the major kinds of resources that organisms compete for and know the examples given in class of each Note no specific example given for food competition but understand how available food can be limited by the environment Be able to define predation predator and prey Be able to explain why the phrase survival of the fittest is incorrect and survival of the fit enough is more accurate Hint selection doesn t choose the best traits Be able to define fitness and explain why fitness is relative Be able to define adaptation and how it relates to fitness Part 2 Natural Selection Understand how the examples of the peppered moths in the lecture and the pocket mice in the video 1 show the process of natural selection and 2 the evolution of the traits for wing color moths and fur color mice What is the source of diversity Hint natural variation in color of wings and fur Why is this trait important for survival Camouflage ability to hide from predators What changes occur in the environment How do these changes naturally select traits for wing fur color Hint in moth example change in bark color changes which wing color is better at camouflage What kind of competition is going on here How do the populations evolve In the moth example was it possible to reverse this evolutionary change If so how Part 2b Antibiotic Resistance Case Study Understand how the example of antibiotic resistance in bacteria 1 shows the process of natural selection and 2 the evolution of the antibiotic resistance trait What is the source of diversity Hint natural variation in ability to resist the poisoning effect of the antibiotic Why is the trait important for survival of the bacteria How does the antibiotic naturally select the bacteria In other words explain how it affects their ability to pass on their genes and traits Is there competition for resources going on in this example In what way does the population evolve Why is evolution of antibiotic resistance occur so quickly The time between generations of bacteria is very small Resistance genes can be passed between bacteria rapidly using What human factors can influence the evolution of resistance to new minutes to hours plasmids antibiotics Part 3 Macroevolution Be able to define microevolution and macroevolution and know the differences between the two Short vs long period of time Small changes vs large changes Single trait vs many Matters of scale Be able to define descent with modification and common descent Also understand why these concepts mean that the theory of evolution predicts that organisms evolve not in a straight line but in a family tree E g it is wrong to say that evolution argues that humans evolved from monkeys but correct to say that they shared millions of years ago a common ancestor Part 3 Macroevolution Be able to define the terms vertebrate and limb and forelimb Be able to explain why the shared features of the forelimb among vertebrates indicate that they may have shared a common ancestor Be able to explain the differences between ray finned fish and lobe finned fish with regard to their limbs Know that most lobe finned fish are extinct except coelocanth and lungfish What features of the lobe finned fish limb suggest that it may be the common ancestor of the other vertebrate species Hint they have primitive versions of some of the bones of the vertebrate limb Part 4 The Origin of Species Know the shared traits of all living things in particular focus on DNA stores information growth by cell division ATP used for energy storage DNA is copied to RNA RNA