Evolution

Question 1

What is evolution?

Answer 1

the genetic change in a population in response to change In the environment over a long period of time giving rise to a new species

Question 2

Who proposed the theory of natural selection?

Answer 2

Darwin and Wallace

Question 3

What is the theory of natural selection driven by?

Answer 3

variation

Question 4

What is natural selection dependant on?

Answer 4

variation

Question 5

What were Darwin’s observations?

Answer 5

-organisms produce many offspring with low survival rate keeping populations constant as death rate is equal to reproductive rate.

Question 6

What does the theory of natural selection explain?

Answer 6

how evolution occurs

Question 7

What is the name of Darwin’s book?

Answer 7

The origin of the species by means of natural selection

Question 8

Give examples of some favourable traits.

Answer 8

• better eyesight
• thicker coat
• echolocation
• speed
• dental formation/ formula
• camouflage
• ability to fight infection

Question 9

What evidence is there for evolution?

Answer 9

> comparing the embryos of vertebrates

• the embryos of all the different vertebrates have similar development and similar embryo stages all having gills and a tail show that they must’ve come from a common ancestor
• all the vertebrates gills disappear before they are born except for the adult fish
• most vertebrates have tails except for some like humans who don’t

Question 10

What is speciation?

Answer 10

when evolution leads to new species

Question 11

What is Neo-darwinism?

Answer 11

combines Darwins theory of natural selection and modern genetic to state that evolution depends on genes and environmental issues

Question 12

How does natural selection explain how the numbers in a population remains relatively constant despite the production of many offspring?

Answer 12

• high reproductive rate leads to competition between organisms for scarce resources
• organisms with favourable resources adapt better to their environment
• these organisms with favourable trait survive and reproduce creating more offspring
• their favourable traits are passed on to the next generation and new species will develop
• organisms without these favourable traits will die of
• so natural selection equals the reproductive rates and the death rates.

Question 13

Who was the scientist that came up with the theory at the same time as Darwin?

Answer 13

Wallace

Question 14

What is natural selection?

Answer 14

it is the process that by which those organisms that have genetically controlled characteristics that allow them to adapt to their environment will survive and reproduce to pass their genes on to future generations

Question 15

What is a fossil?

Answer 15

fossil is the remains of something that live long ago (evidence of an ancient civilisation)

Question 16

What is palaeontology ?

Answer 16

the study of fossils

Question 17

Explain the theory of natural selection.

Answer 17

• natural selection is also known as survival of the fittest
• variations means that there are differences between members of the same species
• high reproductive rates cause competition between organisms
• organisms with favourable traits will adapt better to their environment
• these organisms will survive and reproduce creating more offspring
• their favourable traits will be passed onto the next generation and a new species will develop
• organisms without these favourable traits will die off
• death rates equal reproductive rates