Evolution Test Flashcards
Describe evolution
The process by which different living organisms have developed, changed, and diversified over time.
Explain how natural selection is the driving force of evolution.
Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are well suited for their environment live longer and reproduce, passing on their favorable traits to offspring. This results in population changes over time.
How is Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution different from Lamarck’s theory about evolution?
Lamarck thought traits were acquired during an organism’s lifetime. He did not know about genes or DNA. “Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics”
Why were the Galapagos Islands important to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution?
Because they were volcanic islands, each island ended up with organisms best suited to the natural resources present on each one. The diversity allowed Darwin to see natural selection.
Explain how Darwin observed natural selection in the Galapagos Island. Include how the finches on the island compared to the finches on the South American mainland.
Darwin saw that the finches on the islands resembled the mainland finches but had different beaks than that were adapted to the food source available on each island.
What evidence do scientists have that organisms have evolved?
fossils, homologous body structures
Describe four parts of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by natural selection
Overproduction: more offspring are born than survive
inherited variation: every individual has his own combination of traits
struggle to survive: organisms compete for resources and those beer suited to the environment will survive
successful reproduction: only the survivors of the competition for resources will reproduce and pass on their traits
Explain why the peppered moths of England are another example of evolution by natural selection.
Because when the Industrial Revolution caused the trees to be covered with soot, the moths that were white were eaten more often and the moths that were peppered/darker survived. Over generations the darker colored genes were passed on.
How does the term adaptation and the idea of survival of the fittest help explain evolution by natural selection?
An organism with a beneficial mutation for its environment is better adapted for survival. it will be the most “fit”.
Explain selective breeding
Selective breeding is when humans breed organisms to control desired traits.
What is another name for selective breeding?
Artificial selection
How does an adaption help an organism? What are the two types of adaptations?
Adaptations are favorable traits that arise from mutations in DNA. They make a organism best “fit” for their environment. They can be physical or behavioral traits.
How do genetic variations affect a population, and why are they beneficial?
They provide biodiversity, differences among populations. These differences that create adaptations to certain environments keep a species from becoming extinct.
Which layer are the oldest fossils located in?
The lowest or first layer.
Why are some animals more likely to survive to adulthood that other animals are?
Because they have the traits that make them best suited for their environment.
Explain the term “homologous structure”. What are some examples of these structures?
Structures that are similar but differ in their function (arms, wings, legs, and flippers)
What is competition and why do animals have to compete?
Competition is fighting for resources like food, mates, and shelter. Animals overproduce so they compete for resources to survive.
Define a trait. Give an example.
A trait is a characteristic that you are born with. An example would be a monkey with a long tail or no tail.
What are mutations and how can they be beneficial to organisms?
Mutations are changes in DNA. If the mutation provides an organism with a helpful characteristic in its environment, we call it an adaptation. Adaptations help organisms survive, thrive, and reproduce.
