Lecture 3: Evolution & Darwin Flashcards
features of a divinely inspired creation
1) supreme being made and placed humans on earth
2) organisms look and function according to given design
3) species don’t change
common descent
-a group of organisms descending from a common ancestor
transmutation of species
-all life came from the same common ancestors and the commonn ancestor mutated and over time created new specie
binomial nomenclature
- created by Carolus Linnaeus
- genus and species classifying of organisms
nested hierarchy of organisms
kingdom > phylum > class > order > family > genus > species
sedimentation
-sediments deposited by water were compressed to form stone
erosion
-rock exposed to the elements, break down into sediment
gradualism
-profound change is the cumulative product of slow but continuous process
great geologic cycle
-the coupling of destruction by erosion and renewal by sedimentation
“we find no vestige of a beginning [of time], no prospect of an end”
- James Hutton
- realized geologic structures were not simple and immutable
- time and natural processes causes gradual change og earth
“invisible hand”
-the tendency of market prices to direct individuals pursuing their own self interests into productive activities that also promote economic well-being of society
competition and self interest
- believed human motives in the economy were often selfishness and greed but the competition in the free market would tend to benefit society bc it would keep prices low and build incentives for there to be a wide variety of goods and services available
- less competitve sellers will not succeed; if you can’t compete you won’t survive
lamarckian evolution
-believed that if a species acquired a trait in its lifetime it would be passed onto offspring (now proven false)
acquired traits
-traits you acquire during your lifetime do not get passed on
the rold of disasters in keeping the food supply in line with the population
- belief of Thomas Malthus
- bc populations grow geometrically, while food supplies only grow linearly, disasters periodically collapse populations enough so that there’s enough food until the next disaster