Chapter 18 Flashcards
What is radioactive decay?
As radiation is emitted, the nucleus of a radioisotope changes into the nucleus of a different element
What is a species?
A group of organisms, with similar structure, functioning, and behavior, that are capable of interbreeding with one another
What are the 5 scientific evidences that support evolution?
- Observation from fossil record
- Biogeography
- Comparative anatomy
- Molecular biology
- Developmental biology
FINISH THIS SENTENCE:
According to Lamark, a changing environment caused…?
An organism to alter its behavior
What is natural selection?
Better adapted organisms are more likely to survive and become the parents of the next generation
What are the two main perspectives of evolution?
- The minor evolutionary changes of populations usually viewed over a few generations
- The major evolutionary events usually viewed over a long period.
How many fossils have paleontologists described and named to date?
around 300,000
What led Aristotle to arrange all the organisms he knew in a “scale of nature” that extended from the exceedingly simple to the most complex?
Finding much evidence of natural affinities among organisms
What is half-life?
The time required for one half of the atoms of a radioisotope to change into a different atom
Who was Leonardo Da Vinci?
He was among the first to correctly interpret these unusual finds as the remains of animals that had existed in previous ages but had become extinct.
What is a population?
A group of individuals of one species that live in the same geographic area at the same time
How many years ago was the Triassic period?
240 million years ago
Where are sediment particles usually deposited?
Riverbeds, lake bottoms, and ocean floors
What is an example of artificial selection?
Dog breeders that breed numerous desired dog varieties
What did Pangea separate into around 120 million years ago?
Laurasia and Gondwana
What is continental drift?
When various landmasses have separated over a long period of time
What do index fossils do?
They characterize a specific layer over large geographic areas
FINISH THIS SENTENCE:
The term evolution does not refer to changes that occur in an individual within it’s lifetime. Instead, it refers to the changes in…
The characteristics of populations over the course of many generations.
What are mutations?
Changes in DNA
How does sedimentary rock form?
By the accumulation and solidification of particles produced by the weathering of older rocks
Name 3 men that were some of the founders of the modern synthesis and their occupation
- British Geneticist J.B.S. Haldone
- British Biologist Julian Huxley
- U.S. Biologist Ernst Mayr
What hemisphere was Gondwana?
Southern Hemisphere
What is the half-life of potassium-40?
1.3 billion years
What is plate tectonincs?
The movement of the crustal plates
FINISH THIS SENTENCE:
Over several generations, a given organ or body part would increase in size if it was used—-, or —- if it was used less
A lot; shrink and possibly dissappear
Who produce the most offspring?
The best-adapted individuals
What hemisphere was Laurasia?
Northern Hemisphere
Who was among the first to correctly interpret these unusual finds as the remains of animals that had existed in previous ages but had become extinct?
Leonardo Da Vinci
What is an example of the major evolutionary events perspective of evolution?
The formation of different species from common ancestors.
What is the modern synthesis?
The combined principles of Mendelian inheritance with Darwin’s theory of natural selection
What is artificial selection?
Man choosing certain traits and breeding only individuals that exhibited the desired traits
What are fossils?
The remains or traces typically left in sedimentary rock by previously existing organisms
When did the scientific community recognize Mendel’s work?
Early part of the 20th century
What did finding much evidence of natural affinities among organisms lead Aristotle to do?
It led him to arrange all the organisms he knew in a “scale of nature” that extended from the exceedingly simple to the most complex
What book did Darwin take with him on his voyage?
Principles of Geology
Who noted that population growth is not always desirable?
Thomas Malthus
Who was a British naturalist that developed a simple, scientifically testable mechanism to explain the relationship among Earth’s diversity of organisms?
Charles Darwin
The variation necessary for evolution must be what?
Inherited
What is adaptation?
An evolutionary modification that improves the chances of survival and reproductive success in a given environment
What are index fossils?
Fossils of organisms that existed for a relatively short geological time but were preserved as fossils in large numbers
When did Jean Baptiste de Lemark live?
1744-1829
What is overproduction?
In every generation each species has the capacity to produce more offspring than can survive
What is evolution?
The accumulation of genetic changes within populations over time
What are the 2 things that result from natural selection?
- The population changes over time
2. The frequency of favorable traits increases in successive generations
Who was the first scientist to propose that organisms undergo change over time as a result of some natural phenomenon rather than divine intervention?
Jean Baptiste de Lemark
FINISH THE SENTENCE:
Beginning in the 1930s and 1940s, biologists experienced a conceptual breakthrough when they…?
Combined the principles of Mendelian inheritence with Darwin’s theory of natural selection
What is the biggest challenge in medicine when it comes to evolution?
Medicine must respond to the rapid evolutionary potential of disease-causing organisms such as bacteria and viruses
What are radioisotopes?
Radioactive Isotopes
When did Thomas Malthus live?
1766-1834
What is the half-life of Uranium-235?
704 million years
Who was Charles Darwin?
A British naturalist that developed a simple, scientifically testable mechanism to explain the relationship among Earth’s diversity of organisms
How many years ago was the Cretaceous period?
120 million years ago
The accumulation of modification might result in what?
A new species
Who was a British naturalist who studied the plants and animals of the Malay Archipelago for 8 years
Alfred Russel Wallace
When did Leonardo Da Vinci live?
1452-1519
How many years ago did Pangea breakup into Laurasia (Northern Hemisphere) and Gondwana (Southern Hemisphere)
120 million years ago
What did Aristotle visualize?
He visualized organisms as being imperfect but “moving toward a more perfect state.”
What is biogeography?
The study of the past and present geographic distribution of organisms
Why would population not be desirable?
It will out strip the food supply
How many years ago was the Paleogene period?
60 million years ago
When did Aristotle live?
384-322 B.C.E.
What is the half-life of Carbon-14?
5,730 years
What was Darwins developed workable scientific explanation of evolution?
Natural Selection
What might cause the development of a new species?
The accumulation of modification
What is the movement of the crustal plates?
Plate Tectonics
Who was Jean Baptiste de Lemark?
The first scientist to propose that organisms undergo change over time as a result of some natural phenomenon rather than divine intervention
What are homologous features?
Features that are derived from the same structure in a common ancestor
When did Charles Darwin live?
1809-1882
What is the independent evolution of similar structures in distantly related organisms
Convergent Evolution
What are vestigial structures?
Remnants of more developed structures that were present and functional in ancestral organisms
What does molecular evidence for evolution include?
The universal genetic code and the conserved sequences of amino acids in proteins and of nucleotides in DNA
FINISH THE SENTENCE:
As early as 1975, biologists were suggesting that — were responsible for many differences between closely related species
The regulatory changes in gene expression, particularly of genes involved in development
What did Malthus suggest that the conflict between population growth and food supply generates?
Famine, disease, and war
What do organisms owe their characteristics to?
The types of proteins they posses
When did Alfred Russel Wallace live?
1823-1913
What is DNA sequencing?
Determining the order of nucleotide bases in DNA
What is convergent evolution?
The independent evolution of similar structures in distantly related organisms
What are features that are derived from the same structure in a common ancestor?
Homologous Features
Who was Alfred Russel Wallace?
A British naturalist who studied the plants and animals of the Malay Archipelago for 8 years
