Module 4 - Evolution

Question 1

What is evolution?

Answer 1

• the change of inheritable characteristics of organisms in a population over time

Question 2

What is phylogeny?

Answer 2

• the evolutionary relationships between organisms

Question 3

What does phylogeny provide us with?

Answer 3

• a continuous tree

Question 4

What are the three pieces of evidence for evolution?

Answer 4

• paleontology
• comparative biochemistry
• comparative anatomy

Question 5

What is paleontology? How does it provide evidence for evolution?

Answer 5

• the study of fossils
• allows us to investigate relationships between living and extinct organisms
• shows a descent of modern organisms from common ancestors

Question 6

What is comparative biochemistry? How does it provide evidence for evolution?

Answer 6

• similarities and differences in proteins + molecules
• it demonstrates that certain biochemical features are common to almost all living organisms.
• investigates sequence genome - more similar –> more related

Question 7

What is comparative anatomy? How does it provide evidence for evolution?

Answer 7

• similarities and differences in organisms anatomy
• it indicates whether organisms share a common ancestor

Question 8

What is natural selection?

Answer 8

• a mechanism of evolution
  states that:
• there is phenotypic variation within species due to mutations
• selection pressure occurs, causing a struggle for survival
• mutations = selective advantage = more likely to survive + reproduce fertile offspring
• beneficial allele is passed on
• over time, the population possessing beneficial alleles increases over time
• leads to favorable alleles becoming part of the organism’s phenotype over time

Question 9

What is variation?

Answer 9

• differences in characteristics between organisms

Question 10

What are the four different types of variation?

Answer 10

• discontinuous and continuous
• intraspecific and interspecific

Question 11

What is discontinuous variation?

Answer 11

• where phenotypes can be grouped into 2 or more categories
  (can only take a certain value)

Question 12

What is continuous variation?

Answer 12

• phenotypes vary within a range

Question 13

What is intraspecific variation?

Answer 13

• variation within the same species

Question 14

What is interspecific variation?

Answer 14

• variation within different species

Question 15

What are the three different adaptations?

Answer 15

• anatomical
• behavioral
• physiological

Question 16

What are adaptations?

Answer 16

• characteristics that increase an organism’s chance of survival + reproduction in its environment

Question 17

What are analogous structures?

Answer 17

• structures that look the same but are structurally different

Question 18

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 18

• unrelated species begin to share similar traits due to selection pressures

Question 19

What is the reason for genetic variation?

Answer 19

• random fertilisation
• crossing over
• independent assortment
• mutations

Question 20

What is standard deviation?

Answer 20

• the measure of the spread of data