Summative Flashcard Review

Front

What is a mammal?

Back

A mammal is a warm-blooded vertebrate animal that has hair or fur and typically gives birth to live young and produces milk to feed them.

Front

What is a vertebrate?

Back

A vertebrate is an animal that has a backbone or spinal column, which includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Front

What is a cladogram?

Back

A cladogram is a diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms, illustrating how they are related through common ancestors.

Front

What is directional selection?

Back

Directional selection is a type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over the mean or other extreme, leading to a shift in the population's traits.

Front

What is stabilizing selection?

Back

Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors the average phenotype and reduces variation, leading to a decrease in extremes.

Front

What is disruptive selection?

Back

Disruptive selection is a type of natural selection that favors extreme phenotypes over the average, potentially leading to speciation.

Front

What are the main characteristics of primates?

Back

Primates are characterized by flexible limbs, forward-facing eyes, and a high degree of social behavior, including the ability to use tools.

Front

What is the significance of a cladogram in biology?

Back

Cladograms help biologists understand evolutionary relationships and the history of species, aiding in classification and study of biodiversity.

Front

How do mammals differ from reptiles?

Back

Mammals are warm-blooded, have fur or hair, and produce milk, while reptiles are cold-blooded, have scales, and lay eggs.

Front

What is the role of natural selection in evolution?

Back

Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring, driving evolution.