Download Homework #3: Flunkeys!

Homework #3: Flunkeys! (Due _________________) Flunkeys, or gliding/flapped monkeys, do not exist (but they could and someday might!). For the purposes of this project, we are going to assume that flunkeys are real primates that evolved from an earlier form. Actually more of a flying chimpanzee Specifically, for this assignment assume flunkeys speciated from a non-­‐‑gliding/non-­‐‑
flapped variety of monkeys called Alesmia non-­‐‑lapsus. Alesmia non-­‐‑lapsus, then, is the original non-­‐‑flapped, non-­‐‑gliding monkey species that predates the Flunkey and continues to exist (in the surrounding areas) along with the more recent flapped variety. Using the concept of speciation and incorporating the concepts of: 1) geographic isolation, 2) demes, 3) gene flow, 4) genetic drift, 5)mutation, and 6) natural selection, explain how one species became two. You need to turn in the following: 1) a written description of a process that would lead from one monkey species to two species USING ALL SIX CONCEPTS LISTED ABOVE. 2) A visual depiction of what this might look like (for example, you might draw two groups of “dots” to represent individuals with the flapping trait and those without, and then show how they change over time.) Some terms: Species a group of interbreeding organisms that are reproductively isolated Speciation separation of interbreeding populations (demes) into two or more groups that can no longer successfully interbreed Deme the local breeding population; the smallest reproductive population (a species may ultimately consist of several demes) Gene flow the mixing of genes/alleles as demes within a species move about and interbreed Geographic isolation when members of a population become separated from other populations by geographic barriers (blocks gene flow) Ecological niche the specific environmental habitat that a population occupies and the way that population exploits that habitat (e.g., survives) Mutation a random alteration in the genetic material that allows for new variation Fitness the measure of how well an individual or population is adapted to a specific environment; specifically, how well it can survive long enough to reproduce