Broad Patterns in Evolution Flashcards
the broad pattern of evolution above the species level
microevolution
How long ago do the oldest fossils date back to?
3.5 billion years
Which were the first inhabitants of Earth?
prokaryotes
What effect did prokaryotes have on other organisms?
killed them off; released so much oxygen into the atmosphere
when a large number of species go extinct worldwide
mass extinction
What are the 5 common mass extinctions?
Ordovician/Silurian, Late Devonian, Permian, Triassic/Jurassic, Cretaceous
What often followed mass extinctions?
adaptive radiation
What were the possible contributing factors that caused of the Permian extinction?
- extreme volcanism
- global warming
Approximately ___% of species went extinct during the Permian extinction.
96%
During the Cretaceous extinction, half of ____ species and many ____ species went extinct.
marine; terrestrial
What were the possible contributing factors that caused of the Cretaceous extinction?
- meteorite impact
- disturbed global climate
Is a 6th mass extinction under way?
A 6th, human-caused, mass extinction is likely to occur unless dramatic action is taken.
Extinction rates tend to ____ when global temperatures ____.
increase; rise
What are the consequence of mass extinction?
- altered geological communities
- shift in available niches
- can pave the way for adaptive radiation
- can take 5-100 million years for diversity to recover
the evolution of many diversity adapted species from a common ancestor
adaptive radiation
