AP Biology Unit 7

Front

What is genetic drift?

Back

Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in the allele frequencies of a population, which can lead to significant changes over time, especially in small populations.

Front

What is adaptive radiation?

Back

Adaptive radiation is the process by which a single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments or ecological niches.

Front

How does migration affect genetic diversity?

Back

Migration introduces new alleles into a population, increasing genetic diversity and potentially enhancing the population's ability to adapt to changing environments.

Front

What is the significance of mass extinctions in evolution?

Back

Mass extinctions can lead to adaptive radiation by eliminating dominant species and opening up ecological niches for surviving species to exploit.

Front

What is the difference between convergent and divergent evolution?

Back

Convergent evolution occurs when unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar environmental pressures, while divergent evolution occurs when related species evolve different traits due to different environments.

Front

What is a niche?

Back

A niche is the role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem, including its habitat, resource use, and interactions with other organisms.

Front

What is the founder effect?

Back

The founder effect is a form of genetic drift that occurs when a small group of individuals establishes a new population, leading to reduced genetic variation.

Front

What are post-zygotic barriers?

Back

Post-zygotic barriers are reproductive barriers that occur after fertilization, preventing the hybrid offspring from developing into a viable, fertile adult.

Front

What is speciation?

Back

Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species, often due to geographic, reproductive, or ecological isolation.

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

Natural selection is the process by which individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to the gradual evolution of species.