evolution

Question 1

Name 3 major pattern shifts that indicate “macroevolutionary change” via fossil records

Answer 1

extinction, emergence and growth of a fossil group

Question 2

macroevolutionary patterns (definition)?

Answer 2

the emergence, growth and extinction of larger clades (such as dinosaurs, mammals, flowers)

Question 3

why do some clades produce many species and survive over a long period of time and others do not?

Answer 3

higher diversity allows for more growth and likelihood of surviving environmental change.

Question 4

Are reptiles a successful or unsuccessful clade? Why?

Answer 4

successful, spanning 10 of millions of years. Also, dinosaurs (which are evolved today as birds)

Question 5

what are 2 patterns of extinction?

Answer 5

1. background extinction, 2. mass extinction

Question 6

what is background extinction?

Answer 6

species fail to adapt in a competing or changing environment

Question 7

what is mass extinction?

Answer 7

a lot of species go extinct in a very short period of time and entire ecosystems vanish faster than they can rebuild

Question 8

what does mass extinction do to biodiversity.

Answer 8

biodiversity shrinks and there is less competition. New niches slowly form and biodiversity re-emerges 5 to 10 million years later.

Question 9

what are 2 differences between mass extinction and background extinction?

Answer 9

1. mass is quicker, 2. mass effects a lot of species and ecosystems (background affect just 1 or 2 species over a long period of time)

Question 10

when there is a huge change, of what 2 events does the fossil record show to be the cause

Answer 10

1. mass extinction or 2. genetic drift

Question 11

what is genetic drift?

Answer 11

a small population drift from their bigger group to an isolated place over a long period of time and form a unique characteristic as a means for adapting to their surroundings (ex. finches of the Galapagos islands)

Question 12

Name 2 types of evolution

Answer 12

1. gradualism, 2. punctuated equilibrium

Question 13

what is gradualism?

Answer 13

the evolution of an organism proceeds slowly but gradually

Question 14

what is stasis?

Answer 14

the evolution is so slow there appears to be a state of equilibrium ( ex. horseshoe crab has barely changed since it was first recorded)

Question 15

what is punctuated equilibrium?

Answer 15

equilibrium of an organism interrupted by significant evolution or change. This is actually how a lot of new species appear.

Question 16

What evolutionary characteristics are typical of coevolving species?

Answer 16

when one organism changes, the other adapts to meet these changes (flowers change and then the pollinators change in order to get nectar from the plant)

Question 17

what are 2 patterns of “macroevolution”?

Answer 17

adaptive radiation, 2. convergent evolution

Question 18

what is adaptive radiation?

Answer 18

where a similar species evolves into several different species because they are in different ecosystems (birds)

Question 19

what is convergent evolution?

Answer 19

totally different species in the similar ecosystems from around the world (ex. desserts) develop similarities ( ex. cacti and other succulent plants that retain water. another example wings in insects and birds)