galapagos islands
33 islands, isla isabela, isla fernandina, santa cruz
green warbler finch (certhidea olivacea)
vulnerable. though to be the same species as the grey warbler finch
grey warbler finch (certhidea fusca)
least concern. smaller drier islands.
mangrove finch (geospiza pallida)
vulnerable. use of tools. can use twig, stick, or cactus spine to dislodge invertebrates from trees.
large tree finch (geospiza psittacula)
vulnerable. large, powerful bill with a thick base and is found on a number of the islands.
medium tree finch (geospiza pauper)
critically endangered. in highlands of floreana.
small tree finch (geospiza pavula)
least concern. small and distinctive short, curved beaks to feed on insects
Large ground finch (geospiza magnirostris)
least concern. largest of darwin;s finches both in size and beak size. large, short beaks for cracking large seed and nuts.
Medium ground finch (geospiza fortis)
least concern. number of the islands and fee mainly on seeds
Small ground finch (geospiza fuliginosa)
least concern. most common species of finch, found throughout the islands.
large cactus finch (geospiza conirostris)
least concern. most variable of finches in appearance and feed on a range of foods including Opuntia cacti
common cactus finch (geospiza scandens)
least concern feed mostly on Opuntia cacti, pollen and nectar. Sometimes on the seeds and fruit, range of vegetative foods and invertebrates
sharp-beaked cactus finch (geospiza difficilis)
least concern. mostly feed on seeds, those found in small islands drink the blood of large seabirtds such as boobies. Alternative name of "vampire finch"
Darwin's finches feed on
cactus flowers, use twigs as tools to pry insects from bark, eat eggs and leaves, drink blood, and feed on ticks
severe drought resulted in
only harder, woody seeds available to birds (larger-beaked birds favored)
natural selection is variable over time and can result in
rapid evolutionary change
mutation to Mc2r produce
dark pigmentation
Agouti interfered with Mc1r and indicated
the light coat evolved independently
snowshoe hare (lepus americanus)
for camouflage, fur turns white during winter and rusty brown during summer
more than one agent of selection can
act on a trait (drive selection in two different directions at the same time)
both predators and parasitoids feed on
prey (parasitoids feed on living tissue and predator kill its prey before consuming)
extended phenotype
structure constructed by an organism that can influence its performance or success
gall fly include plants to produce
galls, an extended phenotype (for food source and protection for eggs)
populations that independently experience parallel environmental changes represent
replicated natural experiments
natural experiment is an
empirical study in individuals are exposed to experimental and control conditions that are determined by nature or by other factors outside the control of the investigators
three-spined stickleback (gasterosteus aculeatus) is a scientific study for:
great morphological variation, anadromous (live in seawater but breed in freshwater) very tolerant of salinity changes, social and breeding behavior, antipredator adaptations. easy to find in nature and to keep in aquaria
ectodysplasin (Eda) signaling involved
in production of variable lateral plates in stickleback. QTL mapping has determines that Eda causes variation.
shift in dorsal spine length recorded in
fossil record, nevada dating back 10mya preserved 100k years of stickleback changes, new gradually lost their armor due to relaxed predation pressure
low-Eda allele favored in
freshwater populations, production of armor is energetically costly
humans are agents of
selection
scientists use genetic tools to
understand steps toward domestication (Teosinte grows multiple stals and long branches, maize grows only a single stalk)
IGF1 gene contributed to
small body size
HAS2 gene is associated with
skin wrinkling
RSPO2 is associated with
wiry hair and moustaches
FGF5
long/short fur
KRT71
curly/straight hair
pesticides and herbicides acts as
agents of selection
resistance to pesticides in
Danish houseflies
weeds quickly evolve resistance to
herbicides
alterations in EPSPS enzyme leads to
roundup resistance, a single amino acid change in EPSPS leads to roundup resistance
creation of refuges (Bt toxin free) can
slow the evolution of resistance
introduced cane toads have led to
evolution of black snake populations
evolution of shorter male horns due to
huntings
cod fishing influenced life history:
cod now breed earlier and at a smaller size than before (age of sexual maturity)
the speed of evolution depends on
amount of genetic variation and strength of selection (leads to rapid resistance in pest populations)