B2 Flashcards
Evolution
- Population of living things change over generations
- Organisms best adapted to their environment are most likely to survive (“survival of the fittest”)
- Evolution only occurs in populations, not individuals
- Cumulative change in heritable characterisitcs of a population
Changing Earth- Fossils
Paleontology
Study of fossils
Burrows,footprints and chemicaals rcan remain in fossils
Changing Earth- Fossils
Fossil Formation
- Teeth, shells, bones can resist weathering for long periods of time, in dry environments
- Insects may be trapped in amber
- Impressions/imprints can be left by plants/animals, tracks in soft mud
- fecal matter
- Intracellular spaces of skeletal material can be replaced with minerals (e.g. silica, calcium, iron)
Changing Earth- Fossils
Patterns found
- Different species lived on Earth at various different times
- Complexity of organsims increased
- Living species located in the same geographic region as thei most closely matching fossil
Changing Earth- Fossils
Relative dating
Dating the past
Deeper the sedimantary rock layer= Older fossil
Changing Earth- Fossils
Radiometric dating
Dating the past
Determines the age of rock or fossil by radioactive isotope decay rate
Changing Earth- Biogeography
Biogeography
The study of the variation and geographic distrubution of life on Earth
Changing Earth- Biogeography
225 million years ago Earth had one land mass
Theory of plate tectonics
Supercontinent (Pangea)
Seperated the contintentd by shiftinh tectonic plates
Theory of plate tectonics
- Fossil species older than 150million years were on the same contintent
- The ones younger were on seperate
- Populations evolved after the break up of pangea
Changing Earth- Anatomy
Homologous structures
- Features with similar structures but different functions
- Similiar origin but different use in diffrent species
Changing Earth- Anatomy
Analougous structures
- Similair in function and appearence but not in origin
Changing Earth- Anatomy
Convergent evolution
- Development of similair adaptations from unrelated species
- Occupy equivalant niches on differetn continents
- Due to similar environemtal conditions
Changing Earth- Anatomy
Embryonic development
- Late 1800s: scientists noticed similarities in embryos of different species
- Many structures are similair to common ancestor
- Ex: Homologoud trait such as tailbones
Changing Earth- Anatomy
Vestigal functions
- Rudimentary structures with no useful function
- May have been functional in ancestors
- Examples: Human appendix, wisdom teeth, tail bones, whale skeleton having hips and legs
Changing Earth- Biochemistry
DNA
- Hereditary material in cells
- Each DNA molecule contain many different genes
Changing Earth- Biochemistry
Gene
Segment of DNA that performs a specific function
Scientific Theory
- Model that accounts for all known scientific evidenses
- Requires plausbale explantation
- Altered as new data is gained
Timeline of the evidence of evolution
Lamarkism
Early 1800s, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
- Inheritance of aquired characteristics
- False concept, but key recognition of environemntal role in driving evolutionary chanfe
Timeline of the evidence of evolution
1830-1860, Charles Darwin
- Natural selection: Result of differiential reproductive success of individuals caused by variations in their limited charecteristics
- All species have inherited traits ehich make them better adapted to survive and reproduce= Survival becomes more common in populations= Evolved populations
Darwins Theory
Overproduction
Number of offspring produced by a species is greater than can survive
Darwins Theory
Competition
Organisms of different or the same species must be compete for limited resources
Dawins Theory
Variation
- No two individuals are alike. sexual reproduction creates varaibility
- Offspring inherit most of the parents traits, not all. Some traits arose randomely
Dawins Theory
Survival of the fittest
Environment ats to select favorable traits. Those with advantages survive and reproduce
Dawins Theory
Speciation
Individuals do not change, populations do