Apes Chapter 4

Front 1

biodiversity

Back 1

the variety of the earth’s species, the genes they contain, the ecosystems in which they live, and the ecosystem processes such as energy flow and nutrient cycling that sustain all life; a vital renewable resource

Front 2

species diversity

Back 2

the number and abundance of species present in different communities

Front 3

genetic diversity

Back 3

the variety of genetic material within a species or a population

Front 4

ecological diversity

Back 4

the variety of terrestrial and aquatical ecosystems found in an area or on the earth

Front 5

functional diversity

Back 5

the biological and chemical processes such as energy flow and matter recycling needed for the survival of species, communities, and ecosystems

Front 6

biological evolution

Back 6

the process whereby earth’s life changes over time through changes in the genes of populations

Front 7

natural selection

Back 7

occurs when some individuals of a population have genetically based traits that enhance their ability to survive and produce offspring with the same traits

Front 8

evolution

Back 8

a change in the genetic characteristics of a population from one generation to another

Front 9

kingdoms

Back 9

six major groups of species

Front 10

fossils

Back 10

mineralized or petrified replicas of skeletons, bones, teeth, shells, leaves, and seeds, or impressions of such items found in rocks

Front 11

fossil record

Back 11

the world’s cumulative body of fossils found

Front 12

mutations

Back 12

random changes in the structure or number of DNA molecules in a cell that can be inherited by offspring

Front 13

adaptation

Back 13

any heritable trait that enables an individual organism to survive through natural selection and to reproduce more than other individuals under prevailing environmental conditions

Front 14

differential reproduction

Back 14

enables individuals with the trait to leave more offspring than other members of the population

Front 15

genetic resistance

Back 15

the ability of one or more organisms in a population to tolerate a chemical designed to kill it

Front 16

speciation

Back 16

two species arise from one; for sexually reproducing species, a new species is formed when some members of a population have evolved to the point where the no longer breed with other members to produce fertile offspring

Front 17

geographic isolation

Back 17

occurs when different groups of the same population of a species become physically isolated from one another for long periods

Front 18

reproductive isolation

Back 18

mutation and change by natural selection operate independently in the gene pools of geographically isolated populations

Front 19

extinction

Back 19

an entire species ceases to exist

Front 20

endemic species

Back 20

species that are found in only one area and are especially vulnerable to extinction

Front 21

background extinction

Back 21

the disappearing species at a low rate throughout history

Front 22

mass extinction

Back 22

a significant rise in extinction rates above the background level

Front 23

species diversity

Back 23

the number of different species it contains (species richness) combined with the relative abundance of individuals within those species (species evenness)

Front 24

species richness

Back 24

the number of different species a community contains

Front 25

species evenness

Back 25

the relative abundance of individuals within each of those species

Front 26

ecological niche

Back 26

the role that a species plays in its ecosystem; its way of life in a community and includes everything that affects its survival and reproduction, such as how much water and sunlight it needs, how much space it requires, and the temperatures it can tolerate; its pattern of living

Front 27

generalist species

Back 27

species with a broad ecological niche; can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions (flies, cockroaches, mice, rats, humans)

Front 28

specialist species

Back 28

occupy narrow niches; may be able to live in only one type of habitat, use one or a few types of food, or tolerate a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions; makes specialists more prone to extinction when environmental condition change

Front 29

native species

Back 29

those species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem

Front 30

nonnative species

Back 30

species that migrate into or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem

Front 31

indicator species

Back 31

species that provide early warnings of damage to a community or an ecosystem

Front 32

keystone species

Back 32

have a large effect on the types and abundances of other species in an ecosystem

Front 33

foundation species

Back 33

plays a major role in shaping communities by creating and enhancing their habitats in ways that benefit other species