Concept 3 Flashcards
Paleontology
Study of prehistoric life through the fossil record
Morphology
Study of the form of living things
Biogeography
Study of the geographic distribution of plants and animals
Embryology
Study of embryo development
Biochemistry
Study of chemical processes in living things
Fossils
Preserved remains of organisms
Endemic species
Species that exist only in one geographic region
Pseudogenes
Nonfunctional genes
Explain the role of transitional fossils in providing
evidence for evolution.
they help us piece together evolutionary history, by connecting extinct to current species.
Explain the differences between homologous,
analogous, and vestigial structures. Be sure to indicate
which pattern of evolution leads to these structures as
well as an example of each
- Homologous: Same form due to common ancestry, but different function due to living in different environments.
- Result of divergent evolution
- Ex. Human and cat forelimbs
- Analogous: Same function due to same environment, but different form due to different ancestry.
- Result of convergent evolution
- Ex. A horse’s eye and a fly’s eye
- Vestigial: Useless but potentially leftover from a previous ancestor.
- Result of divergent evolution
- Ex. Leg bones in a whale
Describe how biogeography and embryology provide
evidence of evolution.
- Biogeography matches what we predict happened with
continental drift and provides evidence of divergent evolution. - Embryology reveals that vertebrate embryos have many
similarities when developing in the womb and thus could reflect common ancestry.
List the two macromolecules that provide evidence for
evolution in the field of biochemistry.
Nucleic acids and proteins
Describe an example from direct observation in the last
century that has provided evidence for evolution
The evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria, such as for
tuberculosis, can make it nearly impossible to cure certain
bacterial diseases.
