AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Vestigial structures are the reduced forms of functional structures in other organisms. Evolutionary theory predicts that features of ancestors that no longer have a function for that species will become smaller over time until they are lost. Examples: Snake pelvis and human appendix.

Detailed explanation-2: -Evolutionary theory predicts that peripheral populations in a species’ range are likely to contain lower genetic diversity and higher genetic differentiation due to greater distance and smaller effective population size relative to more central populations (Eckert et al., 2008; Wulff, 1950).

Detailed explanation-3: -Evolutionary theory highlights the adaptive value of within-species variability. Optimal biological and behavioral strategies differ depending on the nature of the environmental context as well as the characteristics of the organism such as age, sex, health, or physical size.

Detailed explanation-4: -Universal common ancestry (UCA) is a central pillar of modern evolutionary theory. As first suggested by Darwin, the theory of UCA posits that all extant terrestrial organisms share a common genetic heritage, each being the genealogical descendant of a single species from the distant past.

Detailed explanation-5: -Evolutionary theory predicts that species are related, not independent. Four of the following examples provide support for this prediction.