Evoution Flashcards

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1
Q

based on radiometric dating, what is the age of the Earth?

A

4.5 billion years old

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2
Q

the estimation of the age of an object by measuring the content of certain radioactive isotopes.

A

radiometric dating

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3
Q

time it takes for half of the total amount of an objects radioactive isotope to decay.

A

half life

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4
Q

are atoms of the same shape tha have different numbers of neutrons.

A

isotope

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5
Q

Which isotopes are best for dating once living specimen, and which are better for rocks? (Carbon 14 and Potassium 40)

A

Carbon 14 is used to date the fossil of organisms

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6
Q

What have experiments shown scientists about the formation of the building blocks of biomolecules?

A

that the building blocks can be formed through natural processes

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7
Q

Do changes to the various hypotheses about the origin of life on Earth indicated a flaw in the evolution theory?

A

No, they are constantly being amended.

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8
Q

ancient rock structure formed by the thin layer of bacteria.

A

stromatolite

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9
Q

what location is currently the most likely candidate for where life originated on Earth

A

hypothermal vents

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10
Q

What do scientists think was the first form of genetic material

A

RNA

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11
Q

what tow advantes could have been provided to the first genetic molecules by being contained in a cell membrane

A

stable environment (protection), needed material would be kept close by

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12
Q

FWhat two molecules likely appeared after RNA

A

DNA and proteins

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13
Q

What two properties of RNA make it the most likely first biomolecule

A

Store both genetic information and cause chemical reactions such as self replication.

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14
Q

Give an example of a “molecular fossil”

A

ATP

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15
Q

Why do scientists generate different models for how biomolecules could have formed

A

we can’t go back in time.

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16
Q

What was the first living thing on Earth as seen in the fossil record

A

Prokaryotes

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17
Q

How did early cyanobacteria affect the Earth’s ecosystem

A

it released oxygen through photosynthesis

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18
Q

current evidence supports that idea that eukaryotic evolved from what types of organisms

A

Prokaryotes

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19
Q

What is the name of the theory for eukaryotic cell formation

A

endosymbiosis

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20
Q

name the organelles that are believed to be symbiotic eubacteria

A

mitochondria

chloroplast

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21
Q

the concept of endosymbiosis is supported by what four pieces of evidence

A
  1. size and structure of both organelles is similar to prokaryotes.
  2. these tow organelles have a ring of DAN similar to prokaryotes.
  3. the ribosomes are the same size and structures as prokaryotes.
  4. They reproduce in a different manner and occur independently.
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22
Q

what are the three types of symbiosis

A

mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism

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23
Q

what benefit could the mitochondria have by living inside another prokaryote

A

protection and a nutrient rich environment

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24
Q

how does Parmeckum bursaira maintian a form of symbiotic relationship

A

stores algae in its body and receives nutrients in return, it carries the algae to areas of sunlight, and shares its own nutrients id dark times.

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25
Q

Multicellular organisms first appeared on Earth how long ago? These organisms are member of what group

A

700 million years ago, protists

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26
Q

the geologic timeline is a history of the Earth that is divided into chunks based on what types of major events

A
  1. Mass extinction
  2. New species appear
  3. Climate change
  4. Geologic event
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27
Q

the process by which species may change over time

A

evolution

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28
Q

slow and steady change of species over time.

A

gradualism

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29
Q

periods of rapid change in a species separated by periods of little or no change.

A

punctuated equilibrium

30
Q

did Darwin discover evolution

A

No he did not

31
Q

What was Darwin’s main contribution to the idea of evolution

A

a mechanism for change

32
Q

What is the term for an explanatin of observed natural events that is supported by a variety of different fields of science? Is this the same as an opinion or an educated guess?

A

a theory, no

33
Q

whose hypothesis stated “a giraffe who stretches his neck to reach leaves will get a longer neck and produce offspring with longer necks

A

Jean Baptiste Lamarck

34
Q

What three scientists were considered to be among the first true geologists

A
  1. James Hutton
  2. Charles Lyell
  3. George Cuvier
35
Q

What specific idea of Lamarck had the greatest impact on Darwin

A

the change due to the environment

36
Q

what was the original purpose of the voyage of the HMS Beagle

A

to map the coastline of South America

37
Q

what chain of islands was an important stops during the voyage of the Beagle

A

Galapagos Islands

38
Q

The idea that all of Darwin’s finch species come form one ancestral species is referred to as

A

descent with modification

39
Q

what was the main idea of the 1798 Thomas Malthus essay, for which he won the nobel Prize

A

Human population and food production

40
Q

How does natural selection define the overall success of a species

A

Reproductive success

41
Q

name four examples of species for which we have a fairly complete record of change over time

A

`1. Horse

  1. Diatoms
  2. Plant Species
  3. Whale
42
Q

why did Darwin wait so long to publish his research on evolution

A

feared the controversy

43
Q

What finally prompted Darwin to release his ideas on evolution to the public

A

Alfred Russell Wallace came to the same conclusion

44
Q

What was the name of Darwin’s 1859 book

A

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection

45
Q

How did the general public and scientific community respond to this book

A

Scientists appreciated it, but the public did not understand it

46
Q

HOw id the religious leaders of the Anglican Church repsond to his book

A

They did not like

47
Q

List the three parts of Darwin’s hypothesis

A
  1. Variation exists within any population.
  2. Those better suited to survive in a particular environment will have more surviving offspring.
  3. The traits of those survivors will become more common in the population.
48
Q

What amount of the total number of organisms that have ever lived on earth are preserved in the fossil record

A

a tiny fraction

49
Q

what particular locations would be most likely to produce future fossils

A
  1. near wet lowlands
  2. slow moving streams
  3. lakes, shallow seas
  4. volcano
50
Q

fossils that bridge gaps between major groups

A

intermediate form

51
Q

structures that are reduced in size and function

A

vestigial structures

52
Q

anatomical structures that are the same in different species. Same structures… different functions.

A

homologous structures

53
Q

do scientists still use the term “missing link”? why or why not

A

no, b/c it implies there is one type of individual between two major groups when there were really thousands

54
Q

name three pairs of groups for which there exists clear intermediate forms in the fossil record

A
  1. Fish and Amphibians
  2. Reptiles and birds
  3. Reptiles and mammals
55
Q

the ancestor of the modern whale was a land creature that lived approximately how long ago

A

60 million years

56
Q

what structural features of the whale make scientists think that their ancestors once lived on land

A

vestigial structures like hip bones and some leg bones

57
Q

approximately how long has the species of homo sapiens been on the Earth

A

.5 million years

58
Q

which is a better indicator of evolutionary relationship: structure or function

A

structure

59
Q

what regulates the early stages of an organism’s embryonic development, causing some very different organism to have similar structures

A

master genes

60
Q

name three structures common to all vertebrates during early development

A
  1. tail
  2. limb buds
  3. pharyngeal pouches
61
Q

would tow organisms with ber similar DNA be more or less closely related to one another

A

more closely related

62
Q

what are some possible environmental pressures that can place a selective force on an organism

A

Temp, Topography, attract a mate, competition, amy factor that makes reproductive success a challenge

63
Q

list the four factors in natural selection that are true for all populations

A
  1. variation exists in all populations
  2. environment presents challenges to reproduction
  3. more offspring are produced to cope with the challenges will have more offspring survive to reproduce themselves
64
Q

what factor determines the beak size and shape of the finches on the Galapagos Islands

A

climate causes different foods to be available

65
Q

name the two scientists that still study Galapagos finches today and have done so for the past 30 years

A

peter and rosemary grant

66
Q

what happens to the average beak size of the Galapagos finches during different environmental conditions

A

dry- beaks get larger wet- beaks get smaller

67
Q

accumulation of differences between groups

A

divergence

68
Q

process of a new species forming

A

speciation

69
Q

what two factors can lead to two groups being considered separate species

A
  1. cannot produce live young

2. cannot produce fertile young

70
Q

what reproductive barrier caused salamanders in California to diverge and for speciation to occur

A

geographic isolation caused by a valley

71
Q

what factors have led to the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of some bacteria diseases

A
  1. improper use of antibiotics
  2. overuse of antibiotics
  3. the few bacteria that are naturally resistant will continue to reproduce