Chapter 15 - Darwin + Evolution

Question 1

What are the three cornerstones of evolutionary thought?

Answer 1

Fixity of Species
Hierarchical Organization
Natural Theology

Question 2

What is Fixity of Species?

Answer 2

A discrete boundary between species with no change over the history of the world - no extinction.

Question 3

What is the Hierarchical Organization of species?

Answer 3

Introduced by Aristotle suggesting species fall into a natural class.

Question 4

What is Natural Theology?

Answer 4

All creation is due to activities of a Christian God.

Question 5

What were listed problems of the three cornerstones?

Answer 5

There are variability between species.
Some things didn’t fit into a known species.
There are fossil records of extinct species.
Geologic evidence proving Earth is older than 7 days.

Question 6

Who was Charles Darwin?

Answer 6

Son of a doctor and he himself studied medicine. Joined an Anglican Clergy and was influenced by naturalist professors. Signed onto the HMS Beagle.

Question 7

What was the HMS Beagle?

Answer 7

5-year mission to chart the South American coast.

Question 8

What is an Analogous Structure?

Answer 8

Structures that have similar appearance and function, but have very different anatomies. (think of wings on a bug versus wings on a bird)

Question 9

What is Artificial Selection?

Answer 9

Selective breeding when individuals with certain traits are chosen to breed. Used to enhance/produce desirable traits.

Question 10

What is Convergent Evolution?

Answer 10

Independent evolution of similar structures among unrelated organisms. A result of similar environmental pressures.

Question 11

What is Evolution?

Answer 11

A theory that descent of modern organisms were modified from pre-existing organisms.

Question 12

What is a fossil?

Answer 12

The remains of a dead organism preserved in rock.

Question 13

What is a Homologous Structure?

Answer 13

Structures that may differ in function but have similar anatomy.

Question 14

What is natural selection?

Answer 14

Unequal survival and reproduction with the result of better phenotypes becoming more common in the population.

Question 15

What is Population?

Answer 15

All members of a species within a defined area.

Question 16

What is a Vestigial Structure?

Answer 16

A useful function in an ancestor, but is currently useless or used in a different way.

Question 17

Who is Alfred Russel Wallace?

Answer 17

The father of Biogeography. Self-financed trips around the world and collected material (all material sank in the ocean) and wrote to Darwin about Evolution.

Question 18

What year did Darwin receive his letter from Wallace?

Answer 18

1858

Question 19

What is Darwin and Wallace’s 500-paged book?

Answer 19

The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859)

Question 20

What are the three components of Natural Selection?

Answer 20

Variation within a species
Inheritance of Variability
Struggle for Existence

Question 21

What is Comparative Anatomy?

Answer 21

Organisms from different ancestries have same forms/structures in same environments. For example, whales and snakes still have pelvic girdles.

Question 22

What is Embryology?

Answer 22

Observing Embryo development to clue in on evolutionary changes in a particular species.

Question 23

What is Geographical Distribution?

Answer 23

Two groups separated by geography such as Marsupials and Placentals.

Question 24

What is a Placental?

Answer 24

Humans - birth well-developed offspring.

Question 25

What is a Marsupial?

Answer 25

Koalas - birth poorly-developed offspring and therefore carry offspring in pouches.

Question 26

What is the progression of fossils?

Answer 26

The shallower the fossil, the younger it is, and the closer it appears to present forms.

Question 27

What is NeoDarwinian Synthesis?

Answer 27

Reconciled natural selection with Mendel’s findings.
Inheritance is particulate. Natural selection influences gene frequencies