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IB Biology > 5.1 Evidence for evolution > Flashcards

5.1 Evidence for evolution Flashcards

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1
Q

What does evolution describe?

A

Change over time

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2
Q

What encodes heritable characteristics?

A

Genes

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3
Q

What is the definition of biological evolution?

A

A change in the allele frequency of a populations gene pool over successive generations

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4
Q

How are heritable characteristics transferred between generations as?

A

Alleles

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5
Q

When talking about the evolutionary change in living organisms what is it referring to?

A

Heritable characteristics

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6
Q

How do fossil records provide evidence for evolution?

A

By revealing the features of an ancestor for comparison against living descendants

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7
Q

What is a fossil?

A

A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of any organism from the remote past

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8
Q

What do preserved remains provide?

A

They provide a direct evidence of ancestral forms

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9
Q

What do preserved remains include?

A

Bones
Teeth
Shells
Leaves etc

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10
Q

What do traces provide?

A

They provide indirect evidence of ancestral forms

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11
Q

What do traces include?

A

Footprints
Toothmarks
Burrows
Faeces

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12
Q

What is a fossil record?

A

The totality of fossils - both discovered and undiscovered

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13
Q

What does the fossil record show?

A

The fossil record shows that over time, changes have occurred in the features of living organisms

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14
Q

How can fossils be dated?

A

Fossils can be dated by determining the age of the rock layer in which the fossil is found

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15
Q

What is strata?

A

Rock layers

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16
Q

What does each strata represent?

A

Each strata represents a variable length of time that is classified according to a geological time scale

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17
Q

How do sedimentary rock layers develop and what does that mean?

A

Sedimentary rock develops in a chronological order meaning that the lower layers are older and the new strata form on top

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18
Q

What indicates a sequence of of development in the law of fossil succession?

A

That different kinds of organisms are found in rocks of particular ages in a consistent order

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19
Q

Describe where prokaryotes appear in the fossil record?

A

Prokaryotes appear in the fossil record before eukaryotes

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20
Q

Describe where fern appear in the fossil record?

A

Ferns appear in the fossil records before flowering plants

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21
Q

Describe where invertebrates appear in the fossil record?

A

Invertebrates appear in the fossil record before vertebrate species.

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22
Q

What is the law of fossil succession?

A

The chronological sequence of complexity by which characteristics appear to develop

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23
Q

What does the law of fossil succession suggest?

A

It suggests that newer species likely evolved as a result of changes to ancestral species.

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24
Q

Why do very few organisms become fossils?

A

Because fossilisation requires an unusual set of specific circumstances in order to occur

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25
Q

Why are only fragments of remains discovered?

A

As only the hard parts of an organism are typically preserved

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26
Q

What does the limited fossil data make it difficult to do?

A

It can make it difficult to discern the evolutionary patterns that result from ancestral forms

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27
Q

What do transitional fossils demonstrate?

A

Transitional fossils demonstrate the intermediary forms that occurred over the evolutionary pathway taken by a single genus

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28
Q

How do transitional fossils establish links between species?

A

By exhibiting traits common to both an ancestor and its predicted descendants

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29
Q

What is an archaeopteryx?

A

An example of a transitional fossil which links the evolution of dinosaurs (jaws, claws) to birds (feathers)

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30
Q

What is an australopithecus?

A

Australopithecus is an early hominin ancestor that first appears in the fossil record 4 million years ago.

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31
Q

What did larger cranial capacity evoke as an evolutionary advantage?

A

Increased intellectual prowess

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32
Q

What structural change caused changed dietary requirements (more meat)?

A

Smaller teeth and narrower jaw

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33
Q

What did a lower and broader pelvis evoke as an evolutionary advantage?

A

Altered birthing patterns for larger infants

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34
Q

What structural change reflected the used of fur clothing from hunting?

A

Marked reduction in body hair

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35
Q

What structural change was a consequence of improved diet?

A

Increased average height

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36
Q

What is selective breeding?

A

Selective breeding is a form of artificial selection where man intervenes in the breeding of species to produce desired traits in offspring

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37
Q

What does breeding members of a species with a desired trait result in?

A

The traits frequency becoming more common in successive generations

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38
Q

How does selective breeding provide evidence of evolution?

A

As targeted breeds can show significant variation in a short period

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39
Q

What has the selective breeding of plant crops resulted in?

A

The creation of new types of foods from the same ancestral plant source

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40
Q

What has been modified in the plants of the genus of brassica and what is the result?

A

Modified lower buds = broccoli
Modified leaf buds = Cabbage
Modified leaves = kale

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41
Q

What are three examples of animals that are used in selective breeding?

A

Horse, Cow and Dog

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42
Q

Why have race horses been bred and what does it result in them being?

A

Race horses have been bred for speed
Resulting in them being leaner, lighter, taller and quicker

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43
Q

Why have draft horses been bred and what does it result in them being?

A

Draft horses have been bred for power and endurance
Resulting in them being sturdier and stockier

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44
Q

Why have cows been selectively bred?

A

To produce offspring with improved milk production or increased muscle mass

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45
Q

What is a Belgian blue cow?

A

The type of cow that has been bred due to a mutation which have excessive bulk and produce more edible lean meat.

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46
Q

Why have hunting dogs been bred?

A

Hunting dogs have been bred to be smaller in stature so they could fit in fox holes

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47
Q

Why were herding dogs bred?

A

Herding dogs were bred for heightened intelligence in order to follow herding commands

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48
Q

Why were racing dogs bred?

A

Racing dogs were bred to be sleek and fast

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49
Q

Why were toy dogs bred?

A

Toy dogs were bred for their diminutive size

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50
Q

What are homologous structures?

A

Homologous structures are anatomical features that are similar in basic structure despite being used in different ways

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51
Q

The more similar the homologous structure between two species are, the…

A

The more closely related they are likely to be

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52
Q

What is adaptive radiation?

A

Where several new species diversify from an ancestral source with each new species adapted to utilise a specific unoccupied niche.

53
Q

What does comparative anatomy show?

A

It may show certain structural features that are similar which shows common ancestry

54
Q

What is a classic example of homologous structures?

A

The pentadactyl limb in a different variety of animals

55
Q

How and why has the pentadactyl limb been adapted for humans?

A

Human hands are adapted for tool manipulation (power vs precision grip)

56
Q

How and why has the pentadactyl limb been adapted for birds and bats?

A

Bird and bat wings have been adapted for flying

57
Q

How and why has the pentadactyl limb been adapted for horses?

A

Horse hooves have been adapted for galloping

58
Q

How and why has the pentadactyl limb been adapted for whales and dolphins?

A

Whale and dolphin fins have been adapted for swimming

59
Q

What is genetic variation?

A

Variation which is inheritable

60
Q

What will occur in any population of a given species?

A

Genetic variation

61
Q

What is the type of variation that happens in genetic variation and why?

A

Continuous and will follow a normal distribution curve as the rate of change is gradual and cumulative

62
Q

What does the degree of divergence depend on?

A

The extent of geographical separation and the amount of time since separation occurred

63
Q

What will two populations of a species experience if they become geographically separated?

A

They will experience different ecological conditions

64
Q

What will happen to the two populations of a species over time once they are geographically separated?

A

They will adapt to the different environmental conditions and gradually diverge from each other

65
Q

What type of populations will experience less divergence?

A

Populations located in close proximity that separated recently

66
Q

What type of population will experience more divergence?

A

Distant populations that separated a longer period of time ago

67
Q

What is speciation?

A

The evolutionary process by which two related populations diverge into separate species

68
Q

When are two populations considered to be separate species?

A

When they can no longer interbreed and produce fertile, viable offspring.

69
Q

What happens to the degree of divergence the longer two graphically separated populations are separated?

A

It will gradually increase

70
Q

What will happen as the genetic divergence between the population increases?

A

Their genetic compatibility decreases

71
Q

What happens when two populations diverge to a certain extent?

A

They can no longer interbreed if returned to a shared environment

72
Q

What are the two forms a peppered moth can exist as?

A
  • a light colouration
  • a darker melanic variant
73
Q

What type of peppered moths are found in an unpolluted environment and why?

A

Lighter moths as the trees are covered in a pale-coloured lichen which the lighter moths can be camouflaged in

74
Q

What type of peppered moths are found in a polluted environment and why?

A

Darker moths as the sulphur dioxide kills the lichen while soot blackens the bark which the darker moths can be camouflaged in

75
Q

What moth was prominent before the industrial revolution and why?

A

The lighter moth as it has a survival advantage due to the environment being largely unpolluted

76
Q

What moth was prominent after the industrial revolution and why?

A

The darker moth as it had a survival advantage due to environment being heavily polluted.

77
Q

What are recent environmental policies in Europe doing in relation to the moths populations and why?

A

As they are reducing pollution levels, they are altering the frequency of the two moth populations

78
Q

What is the frequency of the two different forms of peppered moth dependent on?

A

The environment thus it evolves as condition changes

79
Q

What are the required conditions for fossilisation to occur and why?

A
  • Hard body parts
  • Preservation of remains
  • High pressure to promote mineralisation of remains
  • Anoxic conditions to protect against oxygen damage and prevent decomposition by saprotrophs
80
Q

What are the stages of fossilisation?

A
  • Death and decay
  • Deposition
  • Permineralization
  • Erosion/ exposure
81
Q

What happens during the death and decay stage of fossilisation?

A

Soft body parts are decomposed or scavenged this leaves the hard body parts

82
Q

What happens during the deposition stage of fossilisation?

A

The hard remains are quickly covered with silt and sand and over time more layers continue to build

83
Q

What happens during the permineralization stage of fossilisation?

A

Pressure from the covering layers of silt/sand causes the hard organic material to be replaced by minerals

84
Q

What happens during the erosion/exposure stage of fossilisation?

A

Movement of earth plates may displace the fossil and return it to the surface for discovery

85
Q

What is an epoch?

A

The smallest unit of time on the scale but it is still a period of millions of years

86
Q

What are epochs grouped into?

A

Larger units called periods

87
Q

What is an era?

A

An era is a subdivision combined of periods

88
Q

What is an eon?

A

An eon is the largest division of geological time

89
Q

What does the geological time scale measure?

A

Time on a scale involving four units

90
Q

What is the division of time units in the scale based on?

A

The occurrence of a significant geological event like a mass extinction

91
Q

What is comparative embryology and what does it show?

A

Studying the growing embryo in animals or plants shows that closely related species go through similar stages of development

92
Q

What do the similarities in embryonic development suggest?

A

It suggests that the organisms shared a common evolutionary pathway

93
Q

What do all terrestrial animals have as early embryos and what does it suggest?

A

Non functioning gill slits which suggests an aquatic origin

94
Q

What do many vertebrates demonstrate at an early stage of embryonic development?

A

A primitive tail

95
Q

What is a vestigial structure?

A

A functionless and reduced remnants of organs that were once present in their ancestors

96
Q

What is an example of vestigial organ?

A

Pelvic bones in whales which suggests that whale ancestors were terrestrial mammals

97
Q

What made vestigial organs vestigial organs?

A

Changes to the environment have rendered these organs redundant and so over time they have lost their functionality

98
Q

What is biogeography?

A

Biogeography describes the distribution of lifeforms over geographical areas, both in past and present times

99
Q

What can explain exceptions to the correlation between biogeographical distribution and common ancestory?

A

Continental drift

100
Q

What are two pieces of evidence to suggest biogeographical distribution indicates shared ancestory?

A
  • Most modern marsupials are found almost exclusively in Australia
  • Australia has few placental mammals compared to south America even though environmental conditions are similar
101
Q

Where are related species usually found?

A

In close physical proximity to each other

102
Q

What do fossils found in the a particular region tend to resemble?

A

They closely resemble the modern organisms of the region

103
Q

What are radioisotopes?

A

Radioisotopes are alternative forms of an element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons

104
Q
A
105
Q

What does radioactive dating involve?

A

It involves comparing the ratio of radioactive isotopes in the fossil to that found in the atmosphere today

106
Q

What are the three types of radioactive decay that can occur?

A

Alpha
Beta
Gamma

107
Q

What is alpha decay?

A

Atom releases two protons and two neutrons to form a new more stable element

108
Q

What is beta decay?

A

A neutron decays to produce a proton, electron and anti-neutrino

109
Q

What is gamma decay?

A

Involves the release of electromagnetic radiation but does not change the mass of the atom

110
Q

What stops alpha radiation?

A

Paper

111
Q

What stops beta radiation?

A

Wood

112
Q

What stops gamma radiation?

A

Lead

113
Q

What is a half life?

A

Where radioisotopes decay at a constant rate and the time taken for half the original radioisotope to decay

114
Q

What is Electron spin resonance a useful dating tool for?

A

Dating organic samples that are aged between 50,000 and 500,000 years old

115
Q

What does ESR depend on?

A

The fact that when objects are buried they are bombarded by natural radiation from the soil

116
Q

In ESR what is used to determine when the sample was buried?

A

The number of high energy electrons

117
Q

In ESR what causes the electrons in minerals to move to and remain in a higher energy state?

A

Natural radiation from the soil

118
Q

What does index fossils represent?

A

Short-lived species

119
Q

Where can you only find index fossils?

A

In a restricted depth of rock strata

120
Q

What can index fossils be used to do?

A

They can be used to synchronise the ages of rock layers when other dating techniques are not available

121
Q

What does long range dating do?

A

Dates the rocks around the fossil to determine an age range

122
Q

Where can dating be undertaken?

A

On igneous rock and not on the fossils themselves or the sedimentary rock they are found in

123
Q

\what do all living things contain?

A

Carbon

124
Q

What are the two isotopes of carbon found in someone?

A

C12 (stable) and C14 (radioactive)

125
Q

When the living thing is alive what do the carbon isotopes do?

A

They will mirror environmental levels as carbon is constantly being cycled

126
Q

What happens to the carbon when the living thing dies?

A

The ratio isn’t fixed as C14 breaks down in N14 through beta decay

127
Q

What is the time frame of dating samples with carbon?

A

anything less than 60,000 years old

128
Q

How do scientist use carbon to determine how long ago a creature died?

A

By measuring the amount of C14 remains in the sample

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