Chapter 15 - Darwin + Evolution Flashcards
What are the three cornerstones of evolutionary thought?
Fixity of Species
Hierarchical Organization
Natural Theology
What is Fixity of Species?
A discrete boundary between species with no change over the history of the world - no extinction.
What is the Hierarchical Organization of species?
Introduced by Aristotle suggesting species fall into a natural class.
What is Natural Theology?
All creation is due to activities of a Christian God.
What were listed problems of the three cornerstones?
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.
Who was Charles Darwin?
Son of a doctor and he himself studied medicine. Joined an Anglican Clergy and was influenced by naturalist professors. Signed onto the HMS Beagle.
What was the HMS Beagle?
5-year mission to chart the South American coast.
What is an Analogous Structure?
Structures that have similar appearance and function, but have very different anatomies. (think of wings on a bug versus wings on a bird)
What is Artificial Selection?
Selective breeding when individuals with certain traits are chosen to breed. Used to enhance/produce desirable traits.
What is Convergent Evolution?
Independent evolution of similar structures among unrelated organisms. A result of similar environmental pressures.
What is Evolution?
A theory that descent of modern organisms were modified from pre-existing organisms.
What is a fossil?
The remains of a dead organism preserved in rock.
What is a Homologous Structure?
Structures that may differ in function but have similar anatomy.
What is natural selection?
Unequal survival and reproduction with the result of better phenotypes becoming more common in the population.
What is Population?
All members of a species within a defined area.
What is a Vestigial Structure?
A useful function in an ancestor, but is currently useless or used in a different way.
Who is Alfred Russel Wallace?
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.
What year did Darwin receive his letter from Wallace?
1858
What is Darwin and Wallace’s 500-paged book?
The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859)
What are the three components of Natural Selection?
Variation within a species
Inheritance of Variability
Struggle for Existence
What is Comparative Anatomy?
Organisms from different ancestries have same forms/structures in same environments. For example, whales and snakes still have pelvic girdles.
What is Embryology?
Observing Embryo development to clue in on evolutionary changes in a particular species.
What is Geographical Distribution?
Two groups separated by geography such as Marsupials and Placentals.
What is a Placental?
Humans - birth well-developed offspring.
