Darwin’s Theory Of Natural Selection

Question 1

Remains of once-living species often preserved in sedimentary rock.

Answer 1

Fossils

Question 2

Interpreted the Bible literally.
Calculated the world was created in 4004 BC.

Answer 2

Irish Archbishop Jame Ussher

Question 3

Calculated earth must be at least 75,000 years old.
Speculated humans and apes could be related to each other and that species could change over time.

Answer 3

George Lewish Leclerc

Question 4

Charles Darwin’s grandfather.
All life had common ancestor.
Discussed forms of selection.

Answer 4

Erasmus Darwin

Question 5

Advocate of transformationalism. —> Specifically inheritance of acquired characteristic traits.
First to publicly state view of evolution and to propose mechanism for how evolution takes place.
Organism strives to adapt itself to its environment, acquiring traits that can be passed on to its offspring.

Answer 5

Jean-Baptiste Lamark

Question 6

The use or disuse of a body part results in heritable change.

Answer 6

Transformationalism

Question 7

Geologist. Suggested that Earth was powered by an interior source of heat.
Introduced ideas of uniformitarianism.

Answer 7

James Hutton

Question 8

The laws of physics and chemistry don’t change over time (CONSTANT).
Past geological events are driven by processes analogous to those that continue to occur today.

Answer 8

Uniformitarianism

Question 9

Geologist. Built on Hutton’s work.
Darwin read his work and influenced his understand that Earth must be very old and geologic change happens slowly and steadily over time.

Answer 9

Charles Lyell

Question 10

Human populations increase at an exponential rate before eventually exceeding the capacity of their environment.
2 types of mechanisms to maintain populations at a size that could be supported by limited resources in their environment: increasing death rate (positive checks) or decreasing birth rate (preventative checks).

Answer 10

Thomas Robert Malthus

Question 11

A breeding group of individuals of the same species living in a common area.

Answer 11

Population

Question 12

Explains the principles of natural phenomena using a body of inter connected observations.

Answer 12

Scientific Theory

Question 13

Major types of variation among species:
(species can be distinct)

Answer 13

Global Differences
Local Differences
Temporal Differences

Question 14

Look very different in one part of the world (continents isolated from other continents or islands far from the mainland).
Because of climate or isolation.

Answer 14

Global Differences

Question 15

Species vary across geographic areas.
Organisms looked similar had variations that depended on their ecological niches.
Because of ecological niche.

Answer 15

Local Differences

Question 16

Species change over time, which causes differences amount member of the same species.
Because of changes over time.

Answer 16

Temporal Differences

Question 17

5 major theories of Darwinian evolution:

Answer 17

Perpetual Change
Common Descent
Multiplication of Species
Gradualism
Natural Selection

Question 18

Theory of Darwinian evolution:
The living world is constantly changing. —> The fossil record documents the long history of living organisms.

Answer 18

Perpetual Change

Question 19

Theory of Darwinian evolution:
All life originated from a shared ancestor. —> Supported by comparative anatomy, developmental biology, embryology, and molecular biology.

Answer 19

Common Descent

Question 20

Theory of Darwinian evolution:
New species evolve by existing species splitting and transforming.

Answer 20

Multiplication of Species

Question 21

Theory of Darwinian evolution:
Many small, steady changes produce notable trait differences over a long period of time.

Answer 21

Gradualism

Question 22

Theory of Darwinian evolution:
Natural forces favor new adaptations. —> Individuals in a population are in a continuous strudels to survive because of limited natural resources.

Answer 22

Natural Selection

Question 23

Traits that give an organism an advantage for living in a particular environment.

Answer 23

Adaptations

Question 24

The “fittest” individuals have the greatest reproductive success.

Answer 24

Survival of the Fittest

Question 25

The ability of an individual to pass along genes to the next generation.

Answer 25

Fitness
(Reproductive Fitness)

Question 26

Evidence of Evolution:

Answer 26

-Fossils
-Comparative Anatomy
-Biogeography

Question 27

Physical features that share form and/or function as a result of common ancestry. —> Can demonstrate modifications over time. Anatomically similar.
ex. giraffe’s 7 cervical vertebrae and mouse’s 7 cervical vertebrae

Answer 27

Homologous Structures

Question 28

Homologous Structures
Physical features that remain in a species BUT have no current function. —> These species inherit their structures from common ancestors, demonstrating their evolutionary history.
ex. birds with wing structures but don’t fly (Ostriches).
ex. human tailbone and wisdom teeth

Answer 28

Vestigial Structures

Question 29

Serves a related function but aren’t constructed in the same way.
ex. wings of birds and bats —> These wings didn’t arise from a common ancestor… Allow them to fly BUT anatomical structures different.
ex. flippers of dolphin and fins of shark

Answer 29

Analogous Structures

Question 30

Explains the distribution of organisms through the world and abiotic (non-living) factors that induce their distribution.

Answer 30

Biogeography

Question 31

Native and restricted to a specific area.
Isolated species have evolved to be quite different from their relatives on the mainland (islands vs. mainland).

Answer 31

Endemic Species

Question 32

Examines individual development.

Answer 32

Developmental Biology

Question 33

Looks at inheritance and variation.

Answer 33

Genetics

Question 34

Proves evolutionary changes through shared DNA sequences and cellular components.

Answer 34

Molecular Biology

Question 35

Produces organisms with desirable traits (which show the heritability of traits).

Answer 35

Artificial Selection

Question 36

The development of an individual over the course of its life.

Answer 36

Ontogeny

Question 37

How a species or population evolves over time.

Answer 37

Phylogeny

Question 38

Studies the early embryonic stages of development.

Answer 38

Embryology

Question 39

Different versions of the same gene.

Answer 39

Alleles

Question 40

Defined evolution as changes in allele frequencies within populations and identified several forces of evolution that influence changes in allele frequency.
Combination of modern genetics and Darwinian evolution and was the strongest evidence yet supporting Darwin’s ideas.

Answer 40

Modern Synthesis