Biology- Evolution of an Idea

Question 1

BUFFON

Answer 1

studied animal anatomy and was puzzled by the presence of useless features

e. g- extra pigtoe, dew claws on dogs
- -suggested that species were created in a “more perfect” form and then changed

Question 2

Erasmus Darwin

Answer 2

grandfather to charles, proposed that life evolved and that all evolved from a single common ancestor

Question 3

Lamarck

Answer 3

proposed a 2-part theory to explain how species evolved (recognizes the role of the environment)
1. use and disuse: Features that were used would improve (i.e- bigger, faster) and features that aren’t used would weaken (i.e- smaller, lost). . For example, muscles

2. Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics: traits changed through use and disuse and passed through offspring.
   E.G- evolution of long neck of giraffe; giraffe stretches its neck to reach leaves and its neck would lengthen, and longer neck would pass to children

Question 4

Fossils

Answer 4

remains, impressions, or traces of an organism or its activities, often preserved in rock
- for most fossils to form, the organism must be quickly buried, and over time (over 10,000 yrs) the tissues become compressed and mineralized

Question 5

ideal conditions for fossilization are……

Answer 5

rare

Question 6

Key observations in fossil record

Answer 6

no modern species, odd locations (i.e. aquatic species in deserts or on mountains), buried deep in rock, unique species

Question 7

Cuvier occupation and observations:

Answer 7

A paleontologist (studied ancient life through fossils). His observations included:

• simple organisms are in all rock layers (both young and old)
• complex organisms were only in shallow or young rock
• fossils most like modern species were were in shallow or young rock
• found fossils in one rock layer, but same fossils were not in shallower or deep rock

Question 8

Cuvier’s Theory

Answer 8

Catastrophism: large catastrophs wiped out all or most of life forms, and these were replaced with new ones

Question 9

Lyell Occupation

Answer 9

a geologist (study of rocks), questioned the idea of young earth

Question 10

Lyell’s Theory

Answer 10

Uniformitarianism- geological change is slow and gradual and due to constant natural laws and processes
E.G- climate change, volcanic eruption, earthquakes, plate tectonics, continental drift, mountain/river/canyon formation

Question 11

Conditions for fossilization

Answer 11

• prevention of decomposition (low or no O2)
• aquatic locations (more likely to be buried quickly)
• hand/body parts (bones, shells, exoskeleton)
• trapped in other materials (tar pits, ash, permafrost, amber)