evidence of evolution Flashcards
what are all the evidence of evolution
fossil record, biogeography, embryology, comparative anatomy, molecular biology
what are the disadvantages of using fossil records as evidence for evolution
-fossil records are not perfect
-not all organisms are recognizable or well preserved so some species are easier to count than others
What is Biogeography
the study of the past and present geographical distribution of species or populations
who is the father of biogeography
wallace
How does biogeography relate to evolution
-organisms from land that was once physically close together are more closely related
-works with fossil record to show change over time
what is embryology
the study of the formation and development of an embryo and fetus
how does embryology relate to evolution
-the more closely related any two species are the more similar their development as embryos
what is comparative anatomy
-the comparative study of the body structure of different species to understand the adaptive changes that occured and who their common ancestors are
how does comparative anatomy relate to evolution
-idea that groups of organisms are all related and come from a common ancestor that inhabited new environments and adapted to these environments
what are the types of comparative anatomy
homologous, analogous, vestigial
homologous
-structures which all evolved from the same common ancestor to fulfill different functions
what type of evolution does homologous structure show
divergent evolution - one species evolving into many new and different species
what are analogous structures
-similar structures performing similar functions that appear in different organisms
-not a result of evolution because not from
a common ancestor
what type of evolution do analogous structures show
convergent evolution- similar trait but not related
what are vestigial structures
-structures still present in an organism, but serve no current purpose
-were once useful but evolved to not need them
