Evidence for evolution Flashcards
What are some ways of evidence for evolution?
- fossil record
- geographical distributions
- comparative anatomy
- biochemical evidence
What does the fossil record shows?
- populations changing overtime
- new species emerging
- older species going extinct
What does evolution linked to climate and plate tectonics explain?
It explains many ancestral relationships and geographic distributions seen in fossils and living organisms
What is the basic principle of biogeography?
The basic principle of biogeography is that each
plant and animal species originated only once. The
place where this occurred is the centre of origin.
Homologous structures:
Similar structures but different functions
What indicates a common ancestor, followed by evolutionary changes and natural selection?
Tetrapods (organisms with 4 limbs) all have very
similar bone structures in their limbs (pentadactyl),
despite different functions for the limbs.
Analogous structure:
different structure but same function, example of convergent evolution
Give 2 examples of analogous structures:
- butterfly wing and bird wing
- mammal and octopus eye structure
What are vestigial structures?
Small remnants of organs which previously in a species’ evolutionary history were useful.
Give 3 examples of vestigial structures:
- vestigial wings in kiwi
- pelvic bones in snakes and whales
- appendix in humans
What are some biochemical evidence?
similarities in DNA, proteins, mitochondrial DNA and homeobox genes
How is the degree of similarity of the amino acid proteins determined by?
The number of mutations that have occurred
What are homeobox genes?
The same group of genes that provide the instructions for the similar body parts between organisms
What does homeobox genes indicate?
That all animals have common ancestry
