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Biology 20 > Evolution and the Earth's History > Flashcards

Evolution and the Earth's History Flashcards

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1
Q

Taxonomy:

A

The science of classifying living organisms based on similar characteristics.

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2
Q

Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778):

A

Developed the modern system of taxonomy in which organisms are classified into a hierarchy of categories, organized from general to more specific, based on the characteristics of the organism.

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3
Q

What are the categories of taxonomy?

A

(Don’t Kill Prince Charles Or Family Gangs Sue) Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.

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4
Q

Archaea:

A

Single-celled prokaryotic (lack a nucleus) organisms; contains the kingdom archaea.

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5
Q

Bacteria:

A

Single-celled, prokaryotic (lack a nucleus) organisms with a different cell membrane and wall structure than members of archaea; contains the kingdom bacteria.

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6
Q

Eukarya:

A

Organisms with membrane-bound organelles and a true nucleus; contains the kingdoms protista, fungi, plantae and animalia.

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7
Q

Archaea (or archaebacteria):

A

Unicellular, prokaryotic, often called extremophiles because they have the ability to withstand extreme conditions such as high temperatures and low pH, may be autotrophic or heterotrophic decomposers, reproduce asexually.

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8
Q

Bacteria (or eubacteria):

A

Unicellular, prokaryotic, contain a diverse range of organisms that live in a variety of habitats, may be autotrophic or heterotrophic decomposers, reproduce asexually.

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9
Q

Protista:

A

Most are unicellular and some are multicellular, eukaryotic, usually live in aquatic environments, maybe autotrophic, heterotrophic or both, some are decomposers, reproduce sexually and asexually.

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10
Q

Fungi:

A

Most are multicellular, eukaryotic, usually live in terrestrial environments, heterotrophic decomposers, reproduce sexually and asexually.

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11
Q

Plantae:

A

Multicellular, eukaryotic, live in terrestrial and aquatic environments, autotrophic, reproduce sexually and asexually.

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12
Q

Animalia:

A

Multicellular, eukaryotic, live in terrestrial and aquatic environments, heterotrophic, some are decomposers, most reproduce sexually.

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13
Q

An organism is multicellular, photosynthetic, produces sexually and lives in a terrestrial habitat. Which kingdom does this species likely belong to?

A

Plantae.

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14
Q

At the genus and species level, organisms are classified based on _____________ characteristics.

A

morphological

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15
Q

Binomial nomenclature assigns each species a scientific name based on the _____ and _______ of the organism.

A

genus, species

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16
Q

How is binomial nomenclature written?

A

The first part of the name is the more general genus that the organism belongs to, and the second part of the name is the more specific species group that the organism belongs to. Both words are written in italics, with the first letter of the genus capitalized and the first letter of the species in lowercase.

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17
Q

Variation:

A

A visible or invisible difference between members of a species.

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18
Q

Mutations:

A

Changes in the genetic material of an organism.

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19
Q

Heritable mutations:

A

Heritable mutations can be passed on to the next generation because they occur in the reproductive cells of an organism.

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20
Q

Neutral Mutation:

A

Has no effect on the individual.

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21
Q

Harmful Mutation:

A

Has a negative effect on the individual.

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22
Q

Beneficial Mutation:

A

Has a positive effect on the individual.

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23
Q

Asexual Reproduction:

A

Involves reproduction without a mate.

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24
Q

Sexual Reproduction:

A

Involves reproduction with a mate.

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25
Q

Selective Advantage:

A

The individual is more likely to survive in a particular environment.

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26
Q

A selective advantage increases an individual’s _______, a measure of an individual’s reproductive success.

A

fitness

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27
Q

Fitness:

A

A measure of an individual’s reproductive success.

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28
Q

______ ____ ______ is an example of a human trait that can provide individuals with a selective advantage.

A

Sickle cell anemia

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29
Q

Adaptations:

A

Physical, behavioural or physiological traits that improve a species ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

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30
Q

Evolution:

A

The change of inheritable characteristics in a population over time.

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31
Q

Scientific Theory:

A

A detailed explanation developed from a vast body of evidence that is consistently able to predict and explain observations about the natural world.

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32
Q

Describe the differences and similarities between a scientific law and a scientific theory.

A

A scientific theory explains why phenomena occur while scientific law describes what phenomena happen. They both are made of repeated successful predictions.

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33
Q

Prior to the 18th century, it was commonly believed that all species were created independently of one another and remained unchanged over time. Prominent Ancient Greek philosophers _____ (427–347 B.C.E.) and _________ (384–322 B.C.E.) shared this common belief.

A

Plato, Aristotle

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34
Q

A French naturalist by the name of Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707–1788) was one of the first people to propose that …

A

species could change over time.

35
Q

What did Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon find?

A

He observed similarities between humans and apes and hypothesized that they evolved from a common ancestor. He also proposed that the Earth was much older than 6000 years. These ideas were revolutionary at the time.

36
Q

What did Georges Cuvier do?

A

He discovered fossils of ancient organisms. He found that the older, deeper layers of rock, called strata, had fossils that were more dissimilar to modern species than more recent strata. This provided evidence that species could become extinct and that new species could arise.

37
Q

What did Georges Cuvier believe?

A

Cuvier did not believe that species could evolve over time, but that new species would abruptly arise and remain unchanged in form. He proposed that the Earth experienced many natural disasters, or revolutions, that resulted in the extinction of numerous species. He found that the older, deeper layers of rock, called strata, had fossils that were more dissimilar to modern species than more recent strata. This provided evidence that species could become extinct and that new species could arise.

38
Q

What did Charles Lyell believe?

A

He believed that the Earth goes through very gradual changes over time, rather than the sudden catastrophic changes that Cuvier proposed. Lyell’s idea of gradual change greatly influenced the work of Charles Darwin.

39
Q

What did Jean-Baptiste Lamarck do?

A

He developed the first comprehensive theory of how species change over time that included a mechanism for how species changed.

40
Q

Was Jean-Baptiste Lamarck correct in his theory of species evolution?

A

Although his theory has now been disproven, it was accepted by many scientists.

41
Q

Spontaneous generation:

A

Living things arise from nonliving matter.

42
Q

The increasing complexity of organisms:

A

Organisms change and evolve, become increasingly more complex over time as they strive to reach a state of perfection.

43
Q

Use and disuse:

A

The use of an organ or tissue would strengthen it and disuse of an organ would weaken it and may even cause the organ to disappear.

44
Q

Inheritance of acquired characteristics:

A

Characteristics acquired in an individual’s lifetime are passed on to the next generation.

45
Q

What did Jean-Baptiste Lamarck propose?

A

Spontaneous generation, the increasing complexity of organisms, use and disuse, and inheritance of acquired characteristics.

46
Q

How was Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s theory disproven?

A

The mice lab showed this in a real-life scenario. Also, many organisms do not increase in complexity over time, use and disuse have no effect on most characteristics of an organism, and finally, acquired characteristics are not passed from one generation to the next.

47
Q

What did Charles Darwin observe?

A

Fossilized coral from the ocean is present in the Andes mountains, 3000 m above sea level. Species living in tropical regions of South America were more similar to species living in cooler regions of South America than to species in tropical regions of Africa. Rodents in South America were structurally similar to one another but different from the rodents found in Europe. Fossilized remains of extinct species of giant armadillos and sloths that resembled present-day armadillos and sloths in South America.

48
Q

What were the Galapagos Islands?

A

The Galapagos Islands were home to 13 distinct species of finches that closely resemble the finches found on the coast of South America. Each species of finch was adapted to the food source that was available on the particular island it inhabited.

49
Q

The traits of a species can be changed over a relatively short period of time through __________ _________.

A

artificial selection

50
Q

Who was Thomas Malthus?

A

He wrote a paper in which he proposed that in every generation, far more offspring are produced than can survive. Based on this, Darwin realized that individuals of a species must compete with one another for limited resources in what is called intraspecific competition.

51
Q

Who was Alfred Russel Wallace?

A

He reached similar conclusions to Darwin. Charles Lyell made the finding of both Wallace and Darwin public in a presentation in 1858.

52
Q

What did Charles Darwin propose?

A

“Descent with modification”. He thought that all life on Earth descended from a common ancestor with modifications taking place over time. The mechanism for this modification was natural selection.

53
Q

What were the main points of the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection?

A

More offspring are produced in each generation than can survive, so individuals must compete with one another for limited resources. There are inherited variations within a species, with some individuals having physical and behavioural traits that increased their chances for survival in a particular environment. Individuals that are better adapted to the environment would be selected for - they would be more likely to survive long enough to reproduce and pass those traits on to their offspring. Over time, more individuals would possess these traits until the entire population had them.

54
Q

Fossil record:

A

The arrangement of fossils within layers of sedimentary rock, reveals how life has changed over large periods of Earth’s history.

55
Q

Fossil:

A

A rock or mineral preservation of part of an ancient organism, its trace or impression.

56
Q

The fossil record provides the following evidence to support the ______ __ _________.

A

theory of evolution

57
Q

What is the broad problem with the fossil record?

A

It’s incomplete.

58
Q

What are some reasons for the incompletion of the fossil record?

A

Strata in the rock may be missing due to inconsistent sedimentation and erosion. Some environments are more conducive to fossil formation, such as the transition zone between ocean and land and tropical rainforests. As a result, an extremely small portion of all living organisms that have lived on Earth is preserved as fossils.

59
Q

Biogeography:

A

The study of the distribution of species on Earth over time.

60
Q

Homologous structures:

A

Similar features of organisms in different taxa that indicate descent from shared genetic ancestry, or a common ancestor.

61
Q

Homologous:

A

(Of bodily structure) similar in position, structure, and evolutionary origin but not necessarily in function.

62
Q

Analogous structures:

A

Similar morphological characteristics that evolved from unrelated organisms living in similar environmental conditions.

63
Q

Give an example of an analogous structure:

A

The wings of the bat and bee are analogous due to similar functions, but they have different internal structures.

64
Q

Analogous structures can appear related since they serve a similar function. The structures (have/have not) evolved from a recent pre-existing ancestor.

A

have not

65
Q

Embryonic development:

A

The growth of an animal or plant embryo.

66
Q

Comparative embryology:

A

Considers the similarities and differences of embryos of various animal species.

67
Q

A lot of ______________ and growth occurs between the early stages of embryonic development and the adult form of the organism. As a result, embryonic forms can have structures that _________ later in development.

A

specialization, disappear

68
Q

Give an example of an embryonic development that disappears later in development.

A

Some vertebrate species have gills and tails in juvenile form but lose these characteristics well before the juvenile stage.

69
Q

Biochemistry:

A

The study of compounds and reactions occurring in living things.

70
Q

All organisms are made up of _____, comprised of ________, _______ _____ and other _______ ______________.

A

cells, proteins, nucleic acids, organic macromolecules

71
Q

Proteins, including _______, are made of sequences of _____ ____ building blocks.

A

enzymes, amino acid

72
Q

Reactions in all living things are controlled by _______.

A

enzymes

73
Q

Vestigial Structures:

A

A once useful structure in an organism’s body that is no longer needed for it to survive.

74
Q

Give three examples of vestigial structures:

A

A whale’s pelvis, human appendixes, and wisdom teeth.

75
Q

Biological Species:

A

A group of organisms that are capable of reproducing with one another in nature to produce fertile offspring.

76
Q

Reproductively Isolated:

A

When a species cannot reproduce with another species under natural conditions.

77
Q

Speciation:

A

The process in which a new biological species forms.

78
Q

Transformation:

A

When one species evolves into another species, with the original species no longer existing.

79
Q

Divergence:

A

When one or more species evolve from a parent species, with the parent species continuing to exist.

80
Q

Speciation occurs when a population becomes divided into two or more populations that are ______________ ________ from one another

A

reproductively isolated

81
Q

Biological Barriers:

A

How populations can become reproductively isolated

82
Q

Geographical Barriers:

A

Populations can become reproductively isolated through geographic barriers that physically separate populations.

83
Q

The theory of gradualism:

A

Proposes that speciation takes place very slowly over long periods of time.

84
Q

The theory of punctuated equilibrium:

A

The idea that there are long periods of little to no change in a species group, punctuated with bursts of rapid speciation.

Biology 20 (5 decks)

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