Exam 1 Part 5 Flashcards
When was Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species” created?
1859
What are some influences from the Beagle that helped Charles Darwin to develop his evolutionary theory (4)?
Natural powers to alter the landscape (Lyell’s work), discovered fossil vertebrates (extinction), variation in species and competition between similar species, mockingbirds of the Galapagos islands question the idea of species creation
Who did Charles Darwin get married to?
Emma Wedgwood (1839)
Why didn’t Charles Darwin publish “On The Origin of Species” right away?
Huge religious issues, people would look down upon him if he published it
Why did Charles Darwin decide to publish “On The Origin of Species”
Competition from other scientists
What are Darwin’s 4 Postulates?
Variation exists in all individuals in a population, Variation is heritable (genetics), Variation leads to differences in individual fitness, Successful variants will leave more offsprings like them and, over generations, the population will change
Change in a population over time through generations
Evolution
Process by which evolution occurs
Natural selection
What are some types of evidence that Charles Darwin uses to support natural selection?
Geographical distribution of species, artificial selection by humans, vestigial humans, ontogeny and development, homology of structure
Darwin saw that there were different species of mockingbirds on different locations; saw that the one species of mockingbirds changed wherever they moved on parts of the island and adapted to the environment
Geographical distribution of species
Breeding of domestic animals chosen by humans
Artificial selection by humans
Organ that is no longer used anymore but were useful in the past
Vestigial organs
When organisms are in utero they go through stages that reflect their common ancestry (humans have tails in utero)
Ontogeny and development
Same organ in different animals under every variety of form and function
Homology of structure
A trait or organ that appears similar in two unrelated organisms (ex: bat wings, butterfly wings, bird wings)
Analogous structures
What were some problem’s with Darwin’s evolutionary theory?
Transitional forms, organs of extreme perfection, eusociality among insects, mechanism of inheritance
Some traits that were so perfect that they could not have changed through evolution by natural selection (human eye)
Organs of extreme perfection
Some organisms where most of the individuals are sterile (ant workers and bee workers cannot reproduce)
Eusociality among insects
Where are the missing links during evolution through the evidence of fossils(ex: transition between reptiles to birds, etc.); genetics suggested that whales were related to hooved animals but there was no fossil evidence
Transitional forms
No knowledge of genetics; evolution theory depends on having information on traits being passed down from generation to generation
Mechanisms of inheritance
