Midterm Review Flashcards
What are the steps to the scientific method?
- Observation
- Question & explore
- Hypothesis formulation
- Testing the hypothesis
- Interpreting the results
- Making conclusions
Null hypothesis vs Alternative hypothesis
A null hypothesis means there is no correlation between the variables whereas an alternative hypothesis states there is a correlation between them
Define science
Science is a set of methods designed to describe and interpret observed or inferred phenomena, past or present, and aimed at building a testable body of knowledge open to rejection or confirmation
Scientific Law vs Scientific Theory
Scientific law is a description of an observed phenomenon
A theory is a set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena
Pseudoscience
a body of knowledge, methodology, belief, or practice that is claimed to be scientific or made to appear scientific, but does not adhere to the scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, or otherwise lacks scientific status
How can you spot bad science?
Obnoxious headlines
Conflicts of interest
Correlation & causation
Unsupported conclusions
Non-peer reviewed materials
Sample sizes/ unrepresented control group
Selective reporting
Unreplicable results
Inductive vs Deductive reasoning
The main difference between inductive and deductive reasoning is that while inductive reasoning begins with an observation, supports it with patterns, and then arrives at a hypothesis or theory, deductive reasoning begins with a theory, supports it with observation, and eventually arrives at a confirmation.
How has biodiversity changed over time?
Marine life to plants to reptiles to mammals
What are major drivers of diversification and biodiversity loss?
Mass extinction and resource loss are major drivers of diversification and biodiversity loss
What are common characteristics of life?
PICERAS
Program (DNA/RNA), Improvisation (response to environment), Compartmentalization, Energy, Regeneration, Adaptability, Seclusion (homeostasis)
What are the causes of mass extinctions on Earth?
Climate change, volcanic eruptions, meteorite impact, changing atmospheric gasses
Phylogeny
evolutionary history (development and diversification) of a species
Taxonomy
ordering species into groups and naming the groups
Binomial nomenclature
a naming system which is comprised of Genus species e.g. Homo sapiens
Order of taxonomic gruops
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
Biological species concept
organism that can reproduce with each other but not with others are a species IN OTHER WORDS: a concept in biology used to define a species based on the ability of individuals to interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Phylogenetic species concept
organisms with one diagnostic character (morphological, biochemical, molecular) and fixed in reproductively cohesive units IN OTHER WORDS: a biological concept used to define a species based on evolutionary relationships and common ancestry
Morphological species concept
organism that are morphologically similar (physical characteristics) are a species
Biological species concept problem
The Biological Species Concept may not be applicable to all organisms, especially those that reproduce asexually or have limited opportunities for direct observation of mating behavior.
Morphological species concept problem
One limitation of the Morphological Species Concept is that it may not capture underlying genetic differences. Organisms with similar morphology may be genetically distinct, and conversely, organisms with different morphologies may share genetic similarities.
Genomics
the study of the complete set of DNA in a person or other organism (structure, function, mapping, editing of genomes)
Patterns of evolution
Speciation, Extinction, Gradualism, Punctuated Equilibrium, Divergent evolution, Convergent evolution, Coevolution
Speciation
forming of a new species by evolution from a pre-existing species
Extinction
elimination of a species
Gradualism
slow, constant changes over a long period of time
Punctuated equilibrium
bursts of change followed by periods of stabilityD
Divergent evolution
a number of different species arise from one common ancestor
Convergent evolution
unrelated species evolve similar characteristics because they live in similar environments
Coevolution
occurs when two populations of organism form a specialized relationship and thus change in response to each other
Mechanisms of microevolution
Mutations, Natural selection, Genetic drift, Gene flow, Non-random mating
Mutations
any changes in DNA
Natural Selection
organism more fit for their environments will survive and reproduce more offspring
Genetic drift
random change in frequency of alleles in a population over time
Gene flow
movement of genes into/out of a population
Non-random mating
Sexual selection - a concept in evolutionary biology that refers to the process by which certain traits and behaviors evolve in a population due to their impact on an individual’s ability to attract mates and reproduce. This type of selection operates specifically on traits related to mating success rather than on traits that enhance an organism’s overall survival.)
3 domains
Eukarya, Archaea, Bacteria
Eukarya
May be single celled or multicellular, cell with membrane-bound nucleus & organelles
Archaea
Single celled, prokaryotic (lacking nucleus), no peptidoglycan in cell wall
Bacteria
Single celled, prokaryotic (lacking nucleus), peptidoglycan in cell wall
Kingdoms
Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia
What common traits do humans share with other primates, and what characteristics help us track the evolution of anatomically modern humans in the fossil record?
larger brain, bipedality, extensive tool use
