M 3.1 Evolution Flashcards
What is a common misconception about human evolution?
Humans do not come from monkeys, but both species share a common ancestor.
Who famously said, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”?
Theodosius Dobzhansky in 1973.
What was the Fixity of Species theory?
The theory that species do not change and were created as they are now.
What evidence contradicted the Fixity of Species?
Fossils of extinct animals and vestigial structures like the whale’s pelvis, which suggests species do change over time.
What is Lamarck’s ‘complexifying force’?
The idea that all life evolves towards greater complexity, from microbes to humans.
What is Lamarck’s principle of use and disuse?
If an organism uses an organ more or less, the organ changes during its lifetime (e.g., a giraffe’s neck growing longer).
What is Lamarck’s idea of inheritance of acquired characters?
Traits developed during an organism’s lifetime, like a longer neck, could be passed on to its offspring.
What did Darwin observe about finches on the Galapagos Islands?
Each island’s finches had different beaks adapted to their environment, such as seed-eating or cactus-piercing beaks.
What did Darwin propose as the mechanism for adaptation?
Natural selection.
- DARWIN
What is the first postulate of natural selection?
Individuals within a species vary in their traits.
What is the second postulate of natural selection?
Traits are heritable and passed from parents to offspring.
What is the third postulate of natural selection?
Organisms compete for limited resources, and not all survive or reproduce.
What is the fourth postulate of natural selection?
Survival and reproduction are influenced by traits that help organisms survive and reproduce.
What is the fifth postulate of natural selection?
Natural selection modifies populations over time, favoring traits that improve survival and reproduction.
What are adaptations?
Traits that increase an organism’s chances of survival and reproduction, becoming common in a population over time.
What is an example of convergent evolution in adaptations?
Penguins, whales, manatees, and turtles all have flippers that evolved independently to help them swim.
What is sexual selection?
A form of natural selection where organisms with traits preferred by potential mates are more likely to reproduce, like peacock feathers.
What is artificial selection?
Humans selecting and breeding organisms with desirable traits, such as the variety of dog breeds or the cultivation of corn from teosinte.
What fossil serves as a transitional link between dinosaurs and birds?
Archaeopteryx, a dinosaur with feathers and wings like a bird.
How does anatomy provide evidence for evolution?
Similar structures, like the bones in a bat’s wings and a human’s arms, suggest a common origin.
What does embryology suggest about evolution?
The similar features in vertebrate embryos, such as tails in human embryos, indicate a common ancestor.
How does natural selection lead to antibiotic resistance?
Organisms with mutations that resist antibiotics survive and reproduce, passing the resistance to their offspring.
