Introduction

Question 1

Doboshanksy in 1972 said:
“ “

Answer 1

“nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”

Question 2

Biology has ___, not ___
What’s the difference?

Answer 2

rules, not, laws
rules have exceptions, and laws don’t

Question 3

What are Darwin’s 2 rules?

Answer 3

1. All life has one common ancestor
2. Evolution by natural selection

Question 4

Darwin determined that 4 things must be true in order for biological evolution to happen:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Answer 4

1. individuals within a breeding population have a variable phenotype
2. the offspring of individuals inherits some of this variation
3. more offspring are produced than can survive (this is true on average)
4. individuals have varying survival or reproductive success, according to their phenotype

Question 5

Based on Darwin’s 4 rules for evolution, can computer codes evolve?

Answer 5

Yes!
Evolution is simply change through time

Question 6

_____ was the founder of modern taxonomy

Answer 6

Carolus Linnaeus

Question 7

What is the classification for humans based on Linnaeus’ system?
Kindom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Answer 7

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primata
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Homo sapiens

Question 8

What are the 3 domains of life

Answer 8

Eukaryotes
Bacteria (extremely diverse!)
Archean (thermophiles/ halophiles)

Question 9

Are viruses alive? Can they evolve?

Answer 9

It’s debated whether they’re living or not

They CAN evolve (eg covid strains)

Question 10

Biological evolution=

Answer 10

any change in the inherited traits of a population that occurs from one generation to the next

Question 11

In general, evolution simply means:

Answer 11

change through time

therefore evolution applies to a lot of things (eg computer code)

Question 12

Why is a new virus often more devastating than an established one?

Answer 12

• nobody has immunity to a new virus
• mutations may make it more harmful to the host (eg. can better avoid our immune systems= makes us more sick)

Question 13

Viral strains with beneficial mutations increase in frequency through natural selection.
What is a beneficial mutation and what is the process?

Answer 13

Beneficial mutation= a mutation of the virus that allows the virus to survive better in the host (eg. better avoids the host’s immune system)

Process:
- viral strain no longer recognized by the immune system
- leads to higher reproduction
- dominates population in subsequent generations
= our vaccines are less effective

Question 14

Phylogeny=

Answer 14

the evolutionary history of a lineage

Question 15

Viral reassortment allows flu strains to infect new hosts/
What is viral reassortment?

Answer 15

= the mixing of the genetic material of a species into new combinations in different individuals.
includes assortment of chromosomes and chromosomal crossover

Question 16

What are 2 sources of genetic novelties

Answer 16

1. mutations
2. recombination

Question 17

homology=

Answer 17

characteristics shared among related individuals because of common ancestry

Question 18

synapomorphy=

Answer 18

a derived characteristic shared among a common ancestor and its descendants

Question 19

convergent evolution=

Answer 19

independent evolution of similar features in unrelated lineages due to similar selection pressures

Question 20

How do we know whales are mammals?
- the bodies of whales and other mammals exhibit ____ structures
- whales share ___ with mammals
- similarities with fish arose through ___ ____

Answer 20

homologous

synapomorphies

convergent evolution