Summary: Evolutiebiologie

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• What is an evolutionary consequence of small population size?

  The genetic variation will be relatively low, because a population doesn't have much members. Most of the members of the population will probably have a genotype that suits their environment. When there isn't much genetic variation within a population, the adaptiveness in response to sudden changes in the environment, which affect the survivability of the animals in the population, will be lower in a small population, because it is more likely to have less genetic variation within a smaller population, because the gene pool is smaller.

• One of the practical applications of evolutionary biology is conservation biology. Name 5 traits of conservation biology: what is it for?

  - Identification of evolutionairy significant units (ESUs).
  - Avoidance of inbreeding depression in captivity (looking at adaptive behavioral traits in a population).
  - Avoiding the loss of adaptive variation (adaptive rescue). You don't want the gene pool to become very small, because that will affect the survivability of the species, whilst in the wild.
  - Identification of minimal population size for viability.
  - Predicting the response to global change (maybe working with animals in a way, so that they will be viable against changes of environment due to global changes).

• Name 3 practical applications of evolutionary biology.

  - Human health
  - Pharmaceutical industry
  - Agriculture

• What are the 3 primary goals of evolutionary biology?

  - To document evolutionary history. How has life changed through time?
  - To understand the mechanisms that drive biological change through time.
  - To apply this knowledge to understand the genetic underpinnings of biological diversity, and to solve practical problems in the life sciences.

• All evolving systems have to following properties: (name 3)

  - Populations: groups of entities
  - Variation: members of the population differ from one another with respect to some characteristic
  - Hereditary similarity: offspring resemble the parents

• The first articulated theory of evolution came from Lamarck. Describe his theory with 4 statements.

  - Organisms continually arise from spontaneous generation.
  - "Nervous fluid" acts to move each species up the great chain of being. No extincion, just continuous change.
  - Organisms develop adaptations to changing environment through the use and disuse of organs (heavy use attracts more "nervous fluid", which leads to a higher placement in the "great chain of being")
  - Acquired characteristics are inherited.

• What are the 3 problems with Lamarck's idea of evolution?

  - There was no evidence of spontaneous generation of organisms and plenty for extinction.
  - There was no evidence of an innate drive toward complexity (and thus a higher placement in the "great chain of being").
  - There was no evidence of inheritance of acquired characteristics (at least in the way Lamarck intended).

• What is uniformitarianism? (not really important I think)

  It has something to do with geology and the discovery of the geological history of the earth. The theory says that the processes that are at work today are the same as those that have been operating throughout the entire history of Earth.

• What are three statements made in the essay on the principle of populations (1798) by Thomas Malthus? (also not very important I think, altough the answer is not really hard)

  - Populations reproduce exponentially
  - Natural populations have a large capacity to reproduce and if left unchecked they will increase faster than they can be fed.
  - Many more organisms are born than can possibly survive.

• What are the four elements of evolution by natural selection?

  - Competition: many more individuals are born that survive. For example: one environment can not always provide enough resources for every individual living in that environment. Only the "fittest" are able to survive in these scenarios.
  - Variation: individuals vary in traits directly related to their ability to survive and reproduce.
  - Heritability: these advantageous traits are passed on to offspring.
  - Iteration (herhaling): this process is repeated generation after generation over long periods of time.