Chapter 22 Flashcards
descent with modification
Evolution by definition of Darwin
Scala Naturae
Aristotle
Linnaeus
binomial nomenclature
Hutton
Earth’s surface changes
Lyell
uniformitarianism
The mechanisms of change constant over time
uniformitarianism
catastrophism
the principle that events in the past occurred suddenly and were caused by mechanisms different from those operating in the present
Cuvier
fossils/paleontology, catastropism
Lamarck
inheritance of acquired characteristics
Observations Darwin made
- members of a population often vary in their inherited traits
- all species can produce more offspring that the environment can support, and many of these offspring fail to survive and reproduce
Inferences made from observations
- individuals that are well suited to their environment tend to leave more offspring than other individuals
- Over time, favorable traits accumulate in the population
What were the three broad things Darwin explained in the Origin of Species
- The unity of life
- The diversity of life
- The match between organisms and their environment
Darwin represented life through a
tree with branches representing life’s diversity
Thomas Malthus
human population vs. food supply
homology
similarity resulting from common ancestry
homologous structures
feature variations that were on a common ancestor
comparative embryology
At early stages of embryological development related species look very similar, thus suggesting a common ancestor
vestigial structures
features that were once used but now aren’t and it shows that there was change over time
Evolutionary trees
a diagram that reflects evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms
convergent evolution
Two species evolve independently from different ancestors, but have adapted to similar environments in similar ways
The Fossil record provides evidence of:
The extinction of species
The origin of new species
The change in groups over time
Biogeography
the geographic distribution of species where they can be influenced by continental drift
Endemic species
Species on islands give rise to a new species as they adapt to a new environment and are found nowhere else
What supports evolution?
- Introducing new species
- Homology
- Fossil Record
- Biogeography
Homology
Similarity resulting from similar ancestry
Homologous structures
Represent variations on a structural theme that was present in their common ancestor
Comparative embryology
Reveals anatomical homologous not visible in adult organisms
Evolutionary (phylogenetic) tree
A diagram that reflects evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms
