Descent with Modification Flashcards
what is descent with modification? what are adaptations and natural selection?
term darwin used to refer to evolution
-adaptations = inherited characteristics that enhance survival and reproduction
natural selection = mechanism of adaptive evolution
who was linneaus and what did he do?
-biologist who came up with the binomial nomenclature system of animal naming
who was cuvier and what did he do ?
-big beginning influence in paleontology
-spread the idea of catastrophism: each layer of fossils in a rock layer represented a different catastrophe that wiped all the animals out
who was lyell and what did he do?
came up with the theory of uniformitarianism:
-natural laws are constant throughout time and space, can use the events of the past using events of today, and most geological change occurs over a looooooooooong time
who was malthus and what did he do?
-came up with a “doomsday essay” that basically said there will always be more members of a population than food that can support said population
-meaning there will always be famine and competition over food
who was lamarck and what did he do?
came up with the first theory of evolution:
-animals are intentionally trying to optimize themselves so they can spread their best traits onto an offspring [not how it works]
who was alfred wallace?
co founder of the natural selection theory with darwin. came up with the same ideas at the same time as darwin but let him get all the credit instead
what are the two main ideas in The Origin of Species?
- evolution is responsible for life’s diversity; we all came from one bacteria
- natural selection is a “mechanism” of adaptive evolution
what is artificial selection?
an evolutionary processes where humans select what traits best suit their needs - such as breeding cabbages because they taste good, therefore cabbages continue to survive
what are the 7 key concepts of the theory of evolution?
- fitness
- population dynamics
- variation
- heritability
- natural selection
- adaptation
- non-teleological
what is evolutionary fitness?
a combination of all traits that help an organism survive and reproduce, physical and genetic
what are population dynamics?
a reproductive method where many more offspring are made than can survive. thus, the most “fit” organisms are able to reproduce
what is evolutionary variation?
the idea that no two organisms are exactly alike
what is evolutionary heritability?
-variations in heredity are random and cannot be controlled
-if a variation is beneficial, it will get passed on to the next generation
what is natural selection?
-natural version of artificial selection: traits that give a population success are passed down
-variation occurs from mutations as well as environmental factors, such as food source
