Intro to evolution Dr Marta

Question 1

What is the theory of evolution?

Answer 1

Evolution as we understand it today is a theory, based on SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE that provides a testable mechanism which can explain the formation of life and the diversification of species.

Question 2

What is scientific theory?

Answer 2

1. Observe and collect facts
2. Make a hypothesis to explain facts.
3. Using hypothesis make prediction
4. Test prediction
5. Reject or improve hypothesis and repeat.

If hypothesis stands up it is a theory

Question 3

How do using a cocktail of drugs challenge a viruses ability to survive?

Answer 3

Now we use a cocktail of drugs targeting several genes in the virus, making it more difficult for the virus to acquire beneficial mutations.

Question 4

What is the beginning of evolutionary study?

Answer 4

330BC
Aristotle’s scala naturae.

Question 5

What is the latest milestone in evolutionary study?

Answer 5

1859
The origin of species published.

Question 6

What is Aristotle’s scala naturae?

Answer 6

Ordered organisms into a linear sequence from least to most complex
It fuelled the views of natural theology – the world could only be created by an intelligent designer leading to the Special Creation view of life:

Question 7

What did Caroleus LInnaeus produce?

Answer 7

Bi-nomial naming system(Homo sapiens)

KPCOFGS
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Question 8

What did George Cuvier produce from his evolutionary studies?

Answer 8

Cuvier publishes his
extensive studies of
vertebrate fossils.

led the foundations for darwin through age of fossils are reasoning for extinction

Question 9

What did lamark discover from his studies?

Answer 9

A change in the environment causes changes in the needs of organisms living in that environment, which in turn causes changes in their behavior.

Altered behavior leads to greater or lesser use of a given structure or organ; use would cause the structure to increase in size over several generations, whereas disuse would cause it to shrink or even disappear.

Question 10

What were the three observations explained by darwin in the origin of species?

Answer 10

1) The unity of life
2) The diversity of life
3) The match between organisms
and their environment

Question 11

Name a vestigial structure?

Answer 11

Useless body part,
e.g tail bone(coccyx)

Question 12

Give some evidence of microevolution?

Answer 12

Selective breeding or artifical

Question 13

Give some evidence of speciation?

Answer 13

From natural populations, populations can DIVERGE to the point that their Individuals can no longer interbreed(types of fish)

Question 14

Give some evidence of macroevolution?

Answer 14

From transitional forms.

fossils show mix of features
traits typical of ancesters and novel traits seen later in descendants.

e.g dinosaur to crow

Also from continental drift(pangea)

Question 15

What is homology?

Answer 15

is similarity resulting from common ancestry

Question 16

What are the genes of molecular homology?

Answer 16

The Homeobox (HOX) genes

Question 17

What are hox genes?

Answer 17

regulatory genes that control the timing and route of development.

Hox proteins are transcription factors, as they are capable of binding to specific nucleotide sequences on the DNA called enhancers where they either activate or repress genes.

Question 18

What can result from an error in hox genes?

Answer 18

Expression of a HOX gene in the wrong place at the wrong time can engage the wrong programme and make the wrong limb, or more than the usual number for example.

Question 19

Describe the evolution of hox genes?

Answer 19

When a Hox gene was duplicated, the functions of the two copies diverged and each evolved a special role in the development of the animal. However some sections of the gene remained the same – they were conserved – these allow us to see how the genes are related.

Question 20

Describe how natural selection is the mechanism for evolution?

Answer 20

The individuals within a population differ from one another.

The differences are, at least in part, passed from parents to offspring.

Some individuals are more successful at surviving and reproducing than others.

The successful individuals are not merely lucky; instead, they succeed because of the variant traits they have inherited and will pass to their offspring

Question 21

Describe how natural selection is not forward-looking?

Answer 21

Organisms CANNOT be adapted in advance to future conditions

Selection CANNOT anticipate environmental conditions that will occur during future generations

Question 22

Describe how natural selection does not lead to perfection?

Answer 22

Better-adapted organisms DOESN’T MEAN they are perfect

NS occurs among existing variants and cannot simultaneously optimise all traits

Question 23

How is natural selection non-random?

Answer 23

Only the variants leading to better survival and reproduction will persist.

Question 24

How is natural selection non-progressive?

Answer 24

evolving populations improve only in that their average adaptation to the environment increases

No trend towards more complex or advanced life forms: complex traits are often lost (f.e. snakes and legs)

Therefore, there is no such thing as higher or lower plant or animal.

Basically no animal is higher or lower just more suited to a certain environment.