Chapter 4 Flashcards
Origins of Life
How the first living organism came into being
Phylogenies
Genetic lineages (the evolution of genes in a species/group)
Phylogenetic tree
A family tree of all living organisms based on genetic relationships
How many years ago did the origin of life occur?
3.8 billion years ago
Universal ancestor
The first living organism where all living things are descended (where all organisms came from one single ancestor)
What do we know about the origins of life?
That a single-celled organism made copies of itself and led to the creation of many other species
Darwin
Founded natural selection
Gregor Mendel
Founded particulate inheritance (the idea that physical traits can be passed on to their offspring through genes)
Why did Medel’s and Darwin’s ideas fall out of favor?
Their ideas fell out of favor because both of their theories did not explain evolution entirely (both of their theories did not explain the entire picture)
Lamarckian inheritance
The idea that physical traits acquired over one’s lifetime can be passed on to their offspring (cutting hair or an injury)
What don’t we know about evolution?
We don’t know exactly how the first being came to be
Pangenesis
Darwin combined Lamarck’s theory and claimed that the physical traits acquired over one’s lifetime can be passed on through particles sent by all cells of the human body. These particles congregate in the reproductive system. (Incorrect theory)
How was Lamarck’s theory debunked?
It was debunked through an experiment. Weismann cut off mouse tails to see if the cut-off tails would be passed on. However, all of the baby mice were born with intact tails, so Lamarck’s theory was incorrect.
Hugo Marie de Wries
Dutch botanists who created the concept of genes and mutation
Carl Correns
German botanist who discovered the principles of heredity (this was achieved simultaneously but separately from Hugo de Vries)
Mutationists
Group of scientists who believed variation is caused by mutations in distinct inherited cells
Biometricians
A group of scientists believed that individual mutations could not account for a continuous spectrum of variation (the idea that mutations could cause a wide spectrum of variation like height or weight)
Does evolution take place in populations or individuals?
Populations
Population
Group of individuals who are of the same species who are geographically near each other which allows them to reproduce offspring
Species
Organisms of the same group can reproduce with each other because they are biologically and behaviorally compatible to produce with each other
Viable Offpsring
Offspring that are healthy enough to survive to adulthood
William Castle and John Phillips
They discovered that they could breed rats with a wide variety of colors
Thomas Hunt
Conducted studies on fruit flies where he discovered how chromosomes and genes play a role in heredity.
What did Thomas Hunt discover?
Most mutations increased variations within populations rather than creating new species
R.A. Fisher and John
Burdon
Developed and tested mathematical models for evolutionary change that created the basis for studying population genetics
Sewall Wright and Theodosius
Performed studies where they discovered that chromosomes are the carriers of genes
Edmund Brisco
conducted studies on wild butterflies that confirmed that there are multiple forms of a trait
Polymorphisms
Multiple forms of a trait
Julian Huxley
Published a book on the summary of evolution called the modern synthesis
Modern Synthesis
Unified theory of evolution
Fertile Offspring
Offspring who can have offspring of their own
Subspecies
Species that are physically different and geographically isolated from each other but can interbreed with other species if they choose to do so
Why can’t hybrids reproduce?
Because they have a mismatched set of chromosomes that doesn’t allow for the reproduction of offspring
Genes
The basic unit of information that encodes proteins needed to grow and function as a living organism
Alleles
Variant of a trait
Genotype
The genes that an individual inherits
Phenotype
Physical traits that can be observed that are influenced by one’s genes
Homozygous Genotype
Carrying two of the same alleles
Heterozygous Genotype
Carrying two different alleles of a trait
If a population has subspecies, what can you conclude about the history of that population?
That a species become geographically separated that they developed physical traits separate from each other but can still reproduce with each other
How is it possible for tigers and lions as well as horses and donkeys to mate successfully yet have offspring that are infertile?
Their hybrids have unequal chromosomes that don’t allow for reproduction
Evolution
Change in allele frequencies in a population over time
Allele Frequencies
The ratio or percentage of allele frequencies in comparison to other alleles in a population
How common an allele frequency is within a population
Dominant vs recessive alleles
Genotype Frequencies
The number of individuals who have a given genotype in a population
How frequently does that genotype show up in a population
What are the forces of evolution?
The mechanisms that account for genotype variation: mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection
How can we be fairly certain that these four processes of genotype variation give us an accurate sense of how evolution happens?
Because they have been retested over and over again in modern synthesis
Mutation
Copying error that leads to a change in genetic code that leads to gene variation
Deleterious mutations
Mutations that cause negative effects such as cancer or heritable diseases
Beneficial mutations
Changes in the DNA that provided some sort of advantage to a given population at a particular moment in time
UV cross-linking
Interaction with UV light
A type of mutation in which adjacent thymine bases bind to one another in the presence of UV light
DNA repair mechanisms
enzymes that patrol and repair DNA in living cells, while other mutations may cause a new freckle or mole or, perhaps, unusual hair
to grow
Autosomal recessive
The pattern of inheritance characteristic of genetic disorders
Xeroderma pigmentosum
A genetic disorder that decreases the ability to repair DNA damage caused by UV light (effects include sunburn, skin pigmentation, freckling etc)
Somatic
Cells of our organs and other body tissues