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Bio 120 > Evolution > Flashcards

Evolution Flashcards

1
Q

Aristotle

A

Organisms are fixed and unchanging

Scala naturae: ladder of nature (simple organisms on bottom and complex organisms on top)

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2
Q

Georges Cuvier

A

Late 1700s to early 1800s

Catastrophism: catastrophe killed off organisms and new ones appeared

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3
Q

James Hutton

A

Mid to late 1700s

Gradualism: gradual processes can lead to big changes given enough time

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4
Q

Charles Lyell

A

Early to mid 1800s
Uniformitarianism: geological processes that operate now are the same as those that operated in the past and operate at the same rate now as they did then

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5
Q

Carolus Linnaeus

A

Father of modern taxonomy

Grouped similar organisms into categories

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6
Q

Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck

A

Late 1700s to early 1800s
Proposed that gradual change could explain fossil record
Organisms evolve through use/disuse and inheritance of acquired characteristics

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7
Q

Darwin’s Voyage to South America

A

Temperate SA species resembled SA tropical species more than they resembled temperate European species
Earthquake geology: after an earthquake, the land raised up
Studied animals: iguanas, tortoises, finches, etc.

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8
Q

Natural Selection

A

Heritable variation exists in populations
Organisms produce more offspring than can possibly survive
Those with favorable traits will leave more offspring
Differential survival and reproduction will result in accumulation of favorable traits within the population

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9
Q

Alfred Russel Wallace

A

Visited Rio Negro in Brazil
Studied birds of paradise and orangutans
Came to same conclusions as Darwin
Sent a manuscript to Darwin, which prompted him to publish his findings

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10
Q

On the Origin of Species

A

Darwin’s published work
Species presently inhabiting the earth are descendants of ancestral species that were different
Mechanism of species change: natural selection

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11
Q

Modern definition of evolution

A

Change in a population’s gene frequency over time

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12
Q

Rise of Life

A

Earth is roughly 4.6 billion years old

About 3.9 billion years ago, earth stopped being bombarded by space debris

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13
Q

Oparin-Haldane Hypothesis (1920)

A

Atmosphere+H20+lightning or UV= organic molecules
Modern hypothesis: volcanoes or deep sea vents were sites of organic synthesis
Meteorites contain amino acids

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14
Q

Synthesizing Polymers

A

Dripping amino acids onto hot rocks makes polymers

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15
Q

First cell theory

A

RNA monomers can form spontaneously

Protocells (abiotically produced) took up RNA and divided

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16
Q

Absolute Aging

A

Use radioactive isotopes to determine age of fossils (within a range)

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17
Q

Precambrian Era

A

1st era

Mostly prokaryotes

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18
Q

Phanerozoic Era

A

Paleozoic: marine and terrestrial (reptiles) animals, vascular plants
Mesozoic: dinosaurs, cone-bearing and flowering plants
Cenozoic: mammals, birds, insects

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19
Q

Permian Extinction

A

End of Paleozoic era

Causes: volcanic eruption in Siberia and formation of Pangaea

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20
Q

Cretaceous/Tertiary Extinction

A

End of Mesozoic era

Causes: meteorite strike in Yucatan, volcanism

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21
Q

Stromatolites

A

Oldest fossils

Groups of prokaryotes

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22
Q

Rise of Eukaryotes

A

Endosymbiosis: one prokaryote engulfed another

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23
Q

Rise of Multicellularity

A

Groups of prokaryotes (stromatolites) came together

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24
Q

Cambrian Era

A

Most major phyla appeared

Large, shelled or animals with exoskeletons

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25
Tree of Life
3 domains evolved from universal common ancestor: archaea (prokaryotes, usually anaerobic), bacteria, eukarya
26
Homology
Similarity resulting from common ancestry
27
Vestigial Structures
Organs/structures with little or no current use; relics of common ancestor
28
Biogeography
Geographic distribution of organisms
29
Convergent Evolution
Independent evolution of similar features in different lineages
30
Fossil Record Patterns
Prokaryotes came first, then eukaryotes, then fish, then amphibians...
31
Microevolution
Change in gene frequency in a population/species over time
32
Macroevolution
Over many generations, changes accumulate that lead to the appearance of new groups of organisms
33
Genetic Variation
Differences among individuals in the composition of their genes or other DNA segments Results from mutation and duplication (duplicated genes may take on new functions)
34
Hox gene
Determines where limbs and other body parts are 1st duplication: jawless vertebrates 2nd duplication: jawed vertebrates
35
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
``` Gene pool of population that isn't evolving p^2+2pq+q^2=1 (p=proportion of dominant allele, q=proportion of recessive allele) Only true if: No mutation Random mating No natural selection Extremely large population No gene flow ```
36
Genetic Drift
Random change in allele frequency | Strong in small populations
37
Founder Effect
Founding members of a new population have different allele frequencies than the original source population
38
Bottleneck Effect
Event occurs that wipes out much of population: surviving population has different allele frequencies than the original population
39
Gene Flow
Movement of genes in and out of a population (random)
40
Directional Selection
Favors 1 direction
41
Disruptive Selection
Favors ends (extremes)
42
Stabilizing Selection
Favors average (mean)
43
Fitness
The contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation relative to the fitness of contributions of other individuals
44
Limitations of Natural Selection
Selection can only work on existing variation Limited by historical constraints (what has gone before determines what there is now) Adaptations are often compromises (an adaptation that helps in one task may hinder another) Chance, natural selection, and the environment interact
45
Major Changes in Body Plan
Result of sequences and regulation of developmental genes
46
Paedomorphosis
Changes in development of reproductive genes
47
Speciation
The process by which one species splits into 2 or more species
48
Biological Species Concept
Members have the potential to produce viable, fertile offspring with one another, but not with members of other species
49
Prezygotic Barriers
``` Habitat isolation (live in different areas) Temporal isolation (mate at different times) Behavioral isolation (different courtship display) Mechanical isolation (cannot physically have intercourse) Gametic isolation (protein incompatibility on egg/sperm surface) ```
50
Postzygotic Barriers
``` Reduced hybrid viability (hybrids don't develop or are weak) Reduced hybrid fertility (hybrids are infertile) Hybrid breakdown (hybrids are fine, but F2 generation is weak and sterile) ```
51
Morphological Species Concept
Different shape/structure=different species
52
Ecological Species Concept
Different niches=different species
53
Phylogenic Species Concept
Uses genetics to determine common ancestry
54
Allopatric Speciation
Splitting one population into two so that they are geographically separated
55
Sympatric Speciation
Speciation in species that live together Polyploidy: extra sets of chromosomes Habitat differentiation: genetic factors enable one species to use a habitat or resource not used by the parent population Sexual selection
56
Punctuated Equilibrium
Rapid speciation event followed by long periods of stability
57
Gradual Speciation
Gradual change over long periods of time
58
Trends in Primate Evolution
``` Dextrous hands Bipedalism Large brain Infant care Broad flat teeth in a U-shaped jaw ```
59
Common Ancestor Between Humans and Modern Apes
Quadruped Walked on its palms Arboreal clamberer (didn't climb gracefully) Generalized omnivore teeth
60
Hominins
Extinct species that was more closely related to humans than chimps Exhibited "neck down" evolution Faces remained relatively unchanged
61
Trends in Hominin Evolution
Bipedalism (drier climate hypothesis: more savanna, more walking) Tool use
62
Sehelantrhopus Tchadensis
Early on hominin family tree Flatter face than other anthropoids of the time Hole in bottom of skull more under skull (more bipedalism)
63
Ardipithecus Ramidus ("Ardi")
2nd on hominin family tree Bipedal (in response to nature rather than naturally) Opposable toe, but "propulsive" foot Flatter face than modern apes
64
Australopithecus Afarensis
3rd on hominin family tree Upright head position Arms capable of arboreal life "Lucy"
65
Australopithecus Garhi
4th on hominin family tree | First tool user (?)
66
Australopithecus Robustus
4th on hominin family tree (same time as Garhi) Robust Australopithecus Died off and probably not on our direct line
67
Australopithecus Sediba
5th on hominin family tree Had characteristics resembling both earlier Australopithecines (arm length and brain size) and later Homo (pelvis and teeth)
68
Homo Habilis
6th on hominin family tree "Handy Man" Extensive tool use Fully adapted for upright posture
69
Homo Ergaster
7th on hominin family tree Long straight legs, short straight fingers Smaller teeth than Australopithecines of time
70
Sexual Dimorphism
Size difference between males and females | Reduction is a trend in hominin evolution
71
Homo Erectus
8th on hominin family tree Big skull with enlarged frontal lobes "Great walker"- left Africa Hunted in bands, used fire, beginnings of cultural traditions
72
Homo Neanderthalensis
``` Shorter, heavier, bigger-nosed, bigger-brained than Homo Sapiens Found in Europe Hunted large game Cared for sick and elderly Buried dead Iffy indications of speech No belief in afterlife ```
73
Homo Floresiensis
More related to H. erectus than to H. sapiens or H. neaderthalensis Dwarf characteristics
74
Denisovans
More closely related to Neanderthals than to humans Originated at same time as Neanderthals: went to Asia when Neanderthals went to Europe Known from teeth and phalanges
75
Humans of Sima de Los Huesos
Found in Sima de Los Huesos cave in Spain Oldest hominin DNA DNA is more like Denisovans than like Neanderthals

Bio 120 (8 decks)

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