Lecture 1- Evolution

Question 1

Evolution theory

Answer 1

Evolution is the change in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations

Question 2

1st evolution theory founder

Answer 2

Charles Darwin

Question 3

Increase in body size founders

Answer 3

Matthew (defence against predators)

Martin/Cope’s rule (increase size in time)

Question 4

Natural selection

Answer 4

Survival of the fittest. Individuals are adapting differently making one better adapted to a certain environment than the other.

Contrasts with artificial selection.

Question 5

Artificial selection

Answer 5

Based on human’s needs. 2 selected parents that have beneficial phenotypic traits to reproduce, creating offspring with desired traits.

Question 6

Orthogenesis

Answer 6

Straight-line evolution; no differences in species, they followed eachother up.

Not the truth.

Question 7

Evolution of the horse

Answer 7

Four trends:

1. Reduction number of toes (remainings)
2. Increase in size if cheek teeth
3. Lengthening of the face + bigger brains
4. Increase in body size

Question 8

Relevance evolution for nowadays management

Answer 8

Determines the margins on how to keep animals

Question 9

Macro evolution

Answer 9

Species change over centuries (thousands of years)

Question 10

Micro evolution

Answer 10

Changes on small scale, occurs on single gene. E.g. pesticide resistance

Question 11

Epochs

Answer 11

Era > period > epoch

Millions of years

Question 12

Why the evolution of the horse?

Answer 12

• rich fossil record (north and south America, Europe, Asia and Africa)
• ongoing new insights
• model for other species

Question 13

The evolutionary tree is..

Answer 13

Bushy. Many species overlapping in time.

Branching.

Question 14

Hybrids

Answer 14

Cant produce fertile offspring. Only on micro scale.

Question 15

Mesowear

Answer 15

A tooth wear technique to infer an animals diet by scoring the height and sharpness of molar tooth