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BISC 2 - Genetics, Ecology, Evolution > Evidence of Evolution > Flashcards

Evidence of Evolution Flashcards

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1
Q

A(n) ____ is any evidence of past life that is more than 10,000 years old.

A

fossil

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2
Q

Major geological and biological events of the past are used by scientists to describe the

A

geologic timescale

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3
Q

Common ancestry can be indicated by which of the following?

A
  • homologous structures

- nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarities

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4
Q

Select all of the following that are true about molecular clocks.

A
  • They can be used to estimate when humans and chimps diverged from a common ancestor.
  • They use the mutation rate of genes to determine the time of divergence from a common ancestor.
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5
Q

Biogeography is the study of

A

the distribution of species across Earth.

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6
Q

____ dating involves assigning a specific age to a fossil by testing either the fossil or the sediments above and below it.

A

Absolute

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7
Q

Structures are called homologous if

A

the similarities between them reflect common ancestry.

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8
Q

Select all of the following that are true about vestigial structures.

A
  • persist in related organisms even when no longer used

- include pelvic and hindlimb bones in whales

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9
Q

Organisms that do not share the same evolutionary lineage but have similar adaptations result from ____ evolution.

A

convergent

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10
Q

Anatomical structures that have similar functions but that evolved independently are called ____ structures.

A

analogous

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11
Q

Match each era with a major event that took place on Earth during that era.

A

Paleozoic Era – vascular plants appear
Mesozoic Era – dinosaurs appear
Cenozoic Era – humans appear

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12
Q

____ dating places fossils into a sequence of events without assigning a specific age.

A

Relative

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13
Q

Carbon-14 dating, a type of radiometric dating, uses ____ as a type of clock to measure the age of fossils.

A

isotopes

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14
Q

The surface of the Earth consists of several rigid layers called ____, which move in response to forces acting deep within the planet.

A

tectonic plates

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15
Q

Select all of the following that are homologous structures.

A
  • middle ear bones of mammals and jaw-support bones in primitive fishes
  • limbs of terrestrial vertebrates
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16
Q

What can you conclude about the evolution of chimpanzees and humans from the skull comparisons in the figure?

A

Although skulls in adults look different, comparisons at the fetal stage reveal homology.

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17
Q

Using the chart, select all of the statements that are accurate about the evolutionary relationships presented.

A
  • Rabbits are more closely related to humans than cows are.
  • Pigeons are more closely related to humans than bullfrogs are.
  • Humans and chimps have the same amino acid sequence for the cytochrome c gene.
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18
Q

The study of fossil remains and other clues to past life on Earth is referred to as

A

Paleontology.

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19
Q

Rank the eras of the geologic timescale from the oldest (at the top) to the most recent (at the bottom).

A
  1. Paleozoic
  2. Mesozoic
  3. Cenozoic
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20
Q

The exact match in amino acid sequences of proteins found in closely related species is an example of how comparisons of ____ can indicate evolutionary relationships.

A

proteins

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21
Q

Select all the roles of plate tectonics in the distribution of organisms on Earth.

A
  • mountain ranges emerge
  • land that was underwater can be exposed
  • oceans can separate continents that were once together
22
Q

Select all of the following that explain why the fossil record is incomplete.

A
  • Many fossils may never be discovered because they are buried deeply or submerged under water.
  • Many organisms decomposed before they were buried in sediments.
  • Erosion and movements of the Earth’s surface have destroyed many fossils that did form.
23
Q

Select all of the following that are examples of convergent evolution.

A
  • shape of shark fins and shape of dolphin flippers
  • spines and modified stems of unrelated desert plants
  • loss of pigmentation in cave animals
24
Q

What has made the comparison of a few bases, one gene, or families of genes possible?

A

DNA sequencing

25
Q

The deep-water trench that has separated the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in the Malay Archipelago (Indonesia), preventing migration of organisms, is called ____ line.

A

Wallace’s

26
Q

Select all the characteristics of homologous structures.

A
  • common evolutionary origin
  • include genes and chromosomes
  • may have different functions
27
Q

A homeotic gene is one that might affect

A

the location of limbs in an animal

28
Q

Scientists use two methods to estimate the age of fossils. Select the two correct methods from the choices below.

A
  • absolute dating

- relative dating

29
Q

What survival advantage allowed placental mammals to displace marsupial mammals on many continents?

A

Placental mammals are born more fully developed than marsupials are.

30
Q

The age of the Earth is approximately ____ years.

A

4.6 billion

31
Q

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5,730 years. A squirrel bone found in southwestern Colorado contains 1/4 of the carbon-14 of a living squirrel. Approximately how old is the squirrel bone?

A

11,460 years

32
Q

Select all of the following that are examples of vestigial structures.

A
  • mitochondria in some protists
  • human embryo tails
  • hindlimb bones in snakes
33
Q

Select all the forms of evidence scientists use to support the theory of evolution.

A
  • biogeographical studies
  • fossils
  • molecular data
  • embryological comparisons
34
Q

Continental drift is the term used to describe the fact that the ____ of Earth are in motion.

A

continents

35
Q

Prior to the formation of a land bridge about 3 MYA that allowed placental mammals to invade, marsupials were diverse and abundant on what other continent besides Australia?

A

South America

36
Q

The wings of a bird and the wings of a butterfly are considered ____ structures.

A

analogous

37
Q

Select all of the following that are true about marsupials.

A
  • They include koalas and sugar gliders.

- They were at one time more widespread than placental mammals.

38
Q

Two researchers found a fossil that was in rock known to be at least 1 million years old. What isotope can they use to determine the age of the fossil?

A

potassium-40

39
Q

Select all of the following ways that cells can gain new functions, as revealed by analysis of DNA sequences.

A
  • the transfer of genes from one organism to another

- duplication of genes

40
Q

In humans, the tails found on human embryos and the muscles used for turning ears to receive sounds are examples of

A

vestigial structures

41
Q

Select all of the following that are true about continental drift in Earth’s history.

A
  • The continents were once united into one supercontinent.

- Plate tectonics can cause molten rock to emerge at Earth’s surface.

42
Q

Select all the ways that homology is used in studies of evolutionary relationships.

A
  • gene sequences can be compared
  • physical features of modern organisms can be compared
  • fossil structures can be compared to structures in surviving species
43
Q

The discovery of genes that contribute to embryonic development began a new field of biology called

A

evolutionary developmental biology

44
Q

If a DNA sequence differs by four mutations in two species and mutations occur about once every 10 million years, then how long ago did the two species diverge?

A

40 million years ago

45
Q

In terrestrial vertebrates, the patterns of limb development in embryonic development are controlled by

A

homologous homeotic genes

46
Q

A radioactive substance has a half-life of 5,000 years. If the original sample contained 20 grams of the radioactive isotope, how much remains after 5,000 years have elapsed?

A

10 grams

47
Q

Previously the most widespread land mammal on Earth, marsupials are now abundant and diverse only on what continent due to its isolation?

A

Australia

48
Q

Wallace’s line, as shown on the map, represents

A

a deep-water trench that prevented migration of species

49
Q

Fossils, such as Tiktaalik, can provide information regarding

A

the evolution of organisms

50
Q

Radiometric dating uses an unstable isotope’s ____, which is the time it takes for half of the atoms of the radioactive isotope to devay.

A

half-life

BISC 2 - Genetics, Ecology, Evolution (5 decks)

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