speciation and genetic drift

• What leads to natural selection within a population?

  Competition for resources and survival differences
• What is a phenotype?

  Physical characteristic of an organism
• What determines a phenotype?

  Genetics and environmental factors
• What is the primary source of genetic variation?

  Mutations
• How does meiosis contribute to genetic variation?

  It introduces variation through gamete fusion
• What happens to individuals with advantageous phenotypes?

  They are more likely to survive and reproduce
• What is differential reproductive success?

  Only certain individuals reproduce successfully
• What are the three types of natural selection?

  Stabilizing, directional, and disruptive
• What does disruptive selection lead to?

  Speciation
• How does disruptive selection affect a population's traits?

  It favors extreme traits and eliminates middling traits
• What is speciation?

  Creation of new species from an original population
• What does reproductive isolation mean?

  Populations can no longer breed together
• What accumulates in isolated populations over generations?

  Differences in gene pools
• What is allopatric speciation?

  Speciation due to geographical isolation
• What can cause geographical isolation?

  Earthquakes, volcanoes, or rivers
• How do mutations affect isolated populations?

  They accumulate and can be beneficial
• What is sympatric speciation?

  Speciation without geographical separation
• What can cause sympatric speciation?

  Behavioral differences or timing of reproduction
• How can courtship rituals lead to speciation?

  Different rituals prevent mating between groups
• What is genetic drift?

  Change in allele frequency in small populations
• Why is genetic drift more impactful in small populations?

  Small populations have fewer individuals
• What is required for genetic drift to be considered evolution?

  Substantial change in allele frequency
• How does genetic drift affect evolution speed in small populations?

  It causes evolution to occur more rapidly
• What is the final outcome of speciation?

  Creation of two different species