1.3 Flashcards
What is the definition of evolution?
The process of gradual change.
In biology, how is evolution defined?
The development of a species, organism, or organ from its original or primitive state to its present state.
What is microevolution?
The occurrence of small-scale changes to a gene or to the frequency of a given gene in a population, over a few generations.
What is a species?
A natural population of similar organisms that usually interbreed among themselves to produce healthy fertile offspring.
What is the fossil record?
The fossil record shows examples of fossilized remains that indicate the gradual evolution of a species.
Give an example of a species with a notable fossil record.
Horse.
What do embryonic similarities indicate?
That many different animals share similar genes at their early developmental stage.
What are homologous structures?
Anatomical designs of body structures that are similar despite serving different functions.
What are vestigial organs?
Organs or structures that serve little or no purpose, suggesting they may have had a function at an earlier time.
Provide an example of a vestigial organ.
Vestigial eyes in blind cave fish.
What biochemical similarities exist among organisms?
All organisms use DNA and/or RNA, differing only in the sequence of bases and the length and number of DNA molecules.
What does biogeographical evidence suggest?
Some similar species may have originated from a common ancestor in a central location despite being found in different parts of the world.
What is an example of biogeographical evidence?
Flightless birds originating from a common ancestor in ‘Gondwanaland’ before continental drift.
True or False: The origin of life on Earth is widely agreed upon as being accidental.
False.
What is the focus of the study of evolution?
How living organisms evolve and adapt to geological and environmental changes.
