Chapter 2~Evolution: Constructing a a Fundamental Scientific Theory Flashcards
James Hutton
Calculated Earth’s age as millions of years (1788)
Provided geologic evidence necessary for calculating time span of evolution
Charles Lyell
Rediscovered and reinforced Hutton’s ideas (1830)
Provided more geologic evidence
Robert Hooke
Proved that fossils are organisms’ remains (1665)
Revealed that fossils would provide the history of past life
Georges Cuvier
Extensively studied fossils (1796)
Revealed much variation in the fossil record
John Ray
Pioneered taxonomy based on physical appearance (1660)
Created the first scientific classification of plants and animals
Carlous Linnaeus
Wrote Systema Naturae (1735)
Presented the binomial nomenclature taxonomy of plants and animals
Thomas Malthus
Founded demography; theorized that only some will find enough food to survive (1798)
Provided the concept of characteristics advantageous for survival
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Posited that characteristics are acquired via inheritance (Lamarckism) (1809)
Provided the first serious model of physical traits passing from parents to offspring
Erasmus Darwin
Also posited that characteristics (determined by wants and needs) are acquired via inheritance (1794)
Advanced the notion that physical changes occurred in the past
Taxonomy
The classification of organisms into a system that reflects degrees of relatedness.
Systematics
The study and classification of living organisms to determine their evolutionary relationships with one another.
Demography
The study of a population’s features and vital statistics, including birthrate, death rate, population size, and population density.
Uniformitarionism
The theory that processes that occurred in the geologic past are still at work today.
Catastrophism
The doctrine asserting that cataclysmic events (such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and floods), rather than evolutionary processes, are responsible for geologic changes throughout Earth’s history.
Lamarcksim
First proposed by Lamarck, the theory of evolution through the inheritance of acquired characteristics in which an organism can pass on features acquired during its lifetime.
Gemmules
As proposed by Charles Darwin, the units of inheritance, supposedly accumulated in the gametes so they could be passed on to offspring.
Gene
The basic unit of inheritance; a sequence of DNA on a chromosome, coded to produce a specific protein.
Allele
One or more alternative forms of a gene.
Mendelian Inheritance
The basic principles associated with the transmission of genetic material, forming the basis of genetics, including the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment.
Genotype
The genetic makeup of an organism; the combination of alleles for a given gene.
Chromosomes
The strands of genetic material (DNA) found in the nucleus of multicelled organisms that contain hundreds or thousands of genes.
adaptive radiation
a rapid increase in the number of species with a common ancestor, characterized by great ecological and morphological diversity. The driving force behind it is the adaptation of organisms to new ecological contexts.
What concepts were key elements in Darwin’s important synthesis?
Darwin was not the first person to imagine organic evolution, but he provided a mechanism by which it could happen. What was this mechanism?
Natural Selection
When was the Origin of Species published?
1859
When was Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid published?
1953
