Forces of Evolution, Types of Selection, Speciation, Phylogeny

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What is the Bottleneck Effect?

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A significant reduction in population size due to environmental events, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.

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What is a Cladogram?

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A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics.

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What defines a species?

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A group of organisms that can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring.

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What is Directional Selection?

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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.

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What is Stabilizing Selection?

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A type of natural selection that favors average phenotypes and reduces variation in a trait.

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What is Disruptive Selection?

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

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What is Genetic Drift?

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A random change in allele frequencies in a population, which can lead to significant changes over time, especially in small populations.

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What is the Founder Effect?

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A phenomenon that occurs when a small group of individuals establishes a new population, leading to reduced genetic variation.

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What is Speciation?

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The process by which new species arise from existing species, often due to genetic divergence.

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What is Phylogeny?

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The study of the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms.