ANTHRO 7 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Probability Distribution, Fecundity, Dwarfism
Document Summary
Adaptation: a feature of an organism created by the process of natural selection. Before darwin there was no scientific explanation for the fact that organisms were well adapted to their circumstances. Process known as natural selection: the process that produces adaptation. Biologists peter and rosemary grant (princeton university) conducted a study of evolution and ecology using one species of darwin"s finches on one of the. Caught, measured, weighed, and banded all of the finches on the island and kept track of critical features of the birds" environment. Grants were able to keep track of which birds survived/died and compare traits. Postulates 1) food supply insufficient for entire flinch population (1,200 - 180 in 2 years) 2) beak depth amongst birds varied and this variation affected survival. The proportion of shallow-beak birds who died > deep-beak 3) parents and offspring and similar beak depth. Morphology: the form and study of an organism.
