Chapter 22: Natural Selection Flashcards
What is evolution?
Descent with modification
Who was Linnaeus?
The father of taxonomy classifies organisms.
What are fossils?
Remains or traces of organisms from the past that appear in sedimentary rocks
What is strata?
The layer of sedimentary rocks
What is paleontology?
The study of fossils developed by Georges Cuvier
What is Lamarck’s hypothesis?
Species evolve through the use and disuse of body parts and inherit certain characteristics
What is evolution made up of?
Biology and environment
What is natural selection?
The process where individuals inherit certain traits that are more favorable and likely to survive/reproduce
Who did Darwin steal the theory of evolution from?
Alfred Russel Wallace
What is artificial selection?
The selection and breeding with individuals that have desired traits
What are the two observations that Darwin made?
- Members of a population vary in inherited traits
- All species can produce more offspring than the environment can support but many of these fail to survive and reproduce
What are the two inferences that Darwin made?
- individuals who inherit more favorable traits, leave more offspring
- The unequal ability of individuals to survive/reproduce leads to the accumulation of favorable traits in the population
Do individuals evolve?
No. Populations evolve over time not individuals
What is homology?
The similarity resulting from common ancestry
