4.2 Evolution - studying & evidence

Question 1

what sources can scientists use to study evolution?

Answer 1

palaeontology
comparative anatomy
comparative biochemistry

Question 2

(palaeontology) what is palaeontology?

Answer 2

study of fossils and the fossil record

Question 3

(palaeontology) what are fossils? when are they formed?

Answer 3

plant and animal remains preserved over long periods of time

formed in absence of microbes

Question 4

(palaeontology) fossils allow what to be investigated?

Answer 4

relationships between extinct and extant organisms

Question 5

(palaeontology) studying similarities in fossil anatomy scientists can see how closely related what?

Answer 5

organisms are to each other and the same ancestor

Question 6

(palaeontology) where are fossils of simplest organisms found?

Answer 6

older rocks

Question 7

(palaeontology) where are fossils of more complex organisms found?

Answer 7

more recent rocks

Question 8

(palaeontology) the finding of simpler organisms in older rocks supports what theory?

Answer 8

complex organisms evolved from simpler organisms

Question 9

(palaeontology) plant fossils appear before animals consistent with what fact?

Answer 9

animals need plants to survive

Question 10

(comparative anatomy) the study of what?

Answer 10

similarities and differences in the anatomy of living organisms

Question 11

(comparative anatomy) why is anatomy used as evidence of evolutionary relationships?

Answer 11

the fossil record is incomplete

Question 12

(comparative anatomy) what structures can be looked at?

Answer 12

homologous structures

Question 13

(comparative anatomy) what are homologous structures?

Answer 13

structures appearing differently in all organisms with the same basic structure

Question 14

(comparative anatomy) give an example of a homologous structure:

Answer 14

pentadactyl limb of vertebrates

they have similar structures despite different functions e.g. running, flying, jumping

Question 15

(comparative anatomy) homologous structures give evidence of what type of evolution?

Answer 15

divergent evolution - how different species evolved from a common ancestor

Question 16

(comparative biochemistry) is the study of what?

Answer 16

similarities and differences in the chemical makeup of organisms

Question 17

(comparative biochemistry) studying the genetic code of organisms gives evidence of what?

Answer 17

life evolving from a common ancestor

Question 18

(comparative biochemistry) although molecules change overtime what happens to the important ones?

Answer 18

they are conserved

Question 19

(comparative biochemistry) slight changes in important molecules can help what?

Answer 19

determine evolutionary links

Question 20

(comparative biochemistry) what two important biomolecules are studied?

Answer 20

cytochrome c

ribosomal RNA

Question 21

(comparative biochemistry) the information gained can help determine what?

Answer 21

how long ago species shared a common ancestor

Question 22

(evidence) what is DNA hybridisation?

Answer 22

single strand of DNA from one species is mixed with a single strand of DNA from another
the more bases that match up the closer related the species

Question 23

(evidence) how does DNA hybridisation provide evidence of evolution?

Answer 23

proves similarities between organisms e.g. Darwins out of Africa theory - that humans evolved from apes in Africa

Question 24

(evidence) how is DNA profiling used to study evolution?

Answer 24

used to study mutation enzymes will cut the base sequences differently if the sequence has changed

Question 25

(evidence) how does DNA profiling provide evidence of evolution?

Answer 25

provides evidence of genetic differences between species

Question 26

(evidence) what do DNA molecular clocks use?

Answer 26

PCR and DNA sequencing to allow rapid determination of DNA bases

Question 27

(evidence) how do DNA molecular clocks provide evidence of evolution?

Answer 27

compare species and see how long ago they shared a common ancestor - used to construct evolutionary trees

Question 28

(evidence) what is DNA and Protein sequencing?

Answer 28

comparing base sequences of DNA and amino acids of different species

Question 29

(evidence) how do DNA and protein sequencing provide evidence of evolution?

Answer 29

show which organisms evolved from a common ancestor and how recently