BIOA01 - Deck 1 - Q1~Q50 Flashcards
What is evolution?
Evolution is a change in allele or genotype frequency from one generation to the next (over time).
What does the following statement mean:
“All life on earth, both past and present, are connected by a common ancestor”?
This statement means that all living organisms, no matter how complex or diverse they are, shared a LUCA (last universal common ancestor).
Why is the notion that “Evolution is just a theory, it’s not a fact” incorrect?
Evolution is both a scientific fact, supported by a LOT of evidence, and a scientific theory that explains how and why species change over time.
What is the relationship between Theory and Law?
A theory is an explanation that puts together a bunch of observations and is supported by evidence.
A law is a brief statement that describes an important relationship or pattern observed consistently in nature.
Why does the difficulty with visualizing the scale of evolutionary time make it challenging to understand the process of evolution?
Evolutionary changes happen over A TON OF YEARS and human history only spans a tiny bit of that time, therefore it’s hard for us to fully understand the really slow nature of evolutionary processes.
What is special creation?
Special creation is the belief that species and life forms were all created by a type of god basically, instead of evolving through stuff like evolution.
What is typological thinking? Who was the notable philosopher?
Typological thinking, which was championed by philosopher Plato, is the belief that species DO NOT CHANGE, rather than recognizing variation and evolution within populations.
What is the great chain of being? Which philosopher was behind this movement?
The great chain of being, which was championed by Aristotle, is the belief that literally everything was arranged in a linear order from the simplest forms of existence to the most complex, with God at the top.
Who was Jean-Baptiste Lamarck? What was his contribution to our understanding of evolution?
Describe some correct and incorrect inferences made by Lamarck.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck was a French biologist who proposed the idea of “inheritance of acquired characteristics”, which means that he thought we could pass down acquired traits but he was WRONG.
He helped lay the foundation for the study of evolution, even though a ton of his ideas were inaccurate.
Describe the process of evolution by natural selection as laid out by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.
Evolution by natural selection is the idea that species change over time but like REALLY SLOWLY, since individuals with advantageous traits (adaptations), have better chances of surviving and passing good traits onto their babies, which means that the population adapts really slowly to its environment.
Why is “Evolution by Natural Selection” referred to as population thinking?
“Evolution by Natural Selection” is referred to as population thinking because it focuses on how traits change in populations over time, rather than only in individuals.
Compare and contrast typological thinking and population thinking.
Typological thinking focuses on fixed, idealized categories of organisms and ignores individual variation.
Population thinking considers variation within species, highlighting the diversity and adaptability of populations.
Why was evolution by natural selection revolutionary?
Give 5 reasons.
- Provided a natural explanation: It offered a scientific, natural explanation for the diversity of life on Earth.
- Unified life sciences: It unified various biological fields by connecting genetics, ecology, and paleontology.
- Supported by evidence: It was backed up by evidence from fossils, comparative anatomy, and molecular biology.
- Explained adaptations: It explained how species could adapt to their environments over time, improving their chances of survival.
- Challenged traditional views: It challenged religious and static views of creation, leading to a shift in science and society.
What is meant by descent with modification?
Give two ways we can assess this.
Descent with modification means that over time, species evolve through the passing of traits from one generation to the next.
We can assess this through the study of fossils and the comparison of DNA sequences.
Describe how researchers can provide evidence of change through time.
Researchers can provide evidence of change through time by comparing fossils, genetic data, or other records from different time periods to show how organisms have evolved or changed over long periods of history.
What are transitional forms?
Transitional forms are like “in-between” fossils that show characteristics of both older and more recent species, providing evidence of evolutionary links.
How and why does Archaeopteryx represent a key transition between birds and reptiles?
Archaeopteryx is important because it has both bird features (like feathers and wings), as well as reptilian traits (like teeth and a bony tail). It provides evidence of an evolutionary link between ancient reptiles and modern birds.
What are vestigial characters?
Vestigial characters are like evolutionary leftovers, they’re body structures or traits in organisms that have lost their original function through evolution.
What are some of the evidence of vestigial traits (and genes) in humans?
Vestigial traits in humans include structures like the appendix (once-useful digestive organ), and tailbone, (from when our ancestors had tails), which have lost their original functions over evolutionary time but still exist as pieces of our ancestors’ adaptations.
What is the fossil record?
The fossil record is like Earth’s history book. It’s made up of preserved remains of ancient plants, animals, as well as traces of their activities, which helps scientists study life’s evolution over millions of years.
