macroevolution- 8.5

Question 1

macroevolution

Answer 1

large-scale evolutionary changes
includes periods of stasis, character change, speciation and extinction events

Question 2

evidence of macroevolution comes from

Answer 2

fossils
comparisons from living organisms

Question 3

diversification/diversification events definition

Answer 3

an increase in speciation events and biodiversity on Earth (groups of organisms undergo divergent evolution as they move to occupy many ecological niches)

Question 4

cambrian explosion

Answer 4

the biggest diversification event on earth
541 million years ago, start of the cambrian period, most of the major animal phyla are first seen in the fossil record

Question 5

mass extinction definition/explanation

Answer 5

rapid and widespread decrease in biodiversity on Earth
99.999% of all species on Earth have gone extinct
there have been 5 mass extinction events in Earth’s history

Question 6

gradualism (gradualism vs. punctuated equilibrium)

Answer 6

evolution occurs due to the gradual accumulation of small changes

Question 7

punctuated equilibrium (gradualism vs. punctuated equilibrium)

Answer 7

evolution consists of long periods of “stasis” by rapid periods of change

Question 8

cladistics

Answer 8

determining evolutionary relationships based on the presence or absence of recently evolved (derived) traits

Question 9

synapomorphy

Answer 9

a derived trait shared by two or more species