Evidence for Origin of Life Flashcards
Stratification
The rock on Earth’s surface is arranged in strata, or layers
James Hutton is the father of…
Modern geology; established the theory of uniformitarianism
Theory of Uniformitarianism
Geological processes at work today are the same as those from the past
How old is Earth?
4.5 billion years old
Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of…
Continental drift- the idea that continents moved around the surface of the Earth and came together to form a supercontinent
Evidence for Continental Drift
- Continents all fit together like puzzle pieces
- The same rock unit or fossil could be found on both sides of an ocean or similar features on sides of a mountain (eventually confirmed with the theory of plate tectonics)
4 stages of early life on Earth
1.) Small organic molecules (amino acids, proteins) were made.
2.) These small organic molecules joined together to form larger polymers.
3.) The polymers grouped together to form protobionts.
4.) Simple protobionts evolved to pass on genetic information.
Oparin’s Hypothesis
Early life on Earth formed through a series of reactions that made simple compounds more complex.
Miller-Urey Experiment
Stanley Miller and Harold Urey modeled the primitive atmosphere of Earth in a glass apparatus that proved the Oparin theory.
Taxonomy Classification System
Did King Henry Come Over For Great Spaghetti?
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Cladogram
Displays the relationships between organisms based on their characteristics or ancestors
Phylogenetic tree
Displays the relationships between organisms based on genetic relationships