Natural Selection Exam Flashcards
Fossils
some sort of preserved remain of a life form
ex. amber, tar, ice/frozen, sedimentary rock, petrification
petrification
when a structure trapped in sediment is replaced by minerals
panagea
super-continent existing about 200 million years ago. separation example of gradualism
paleontology
the study of fossils (plants, animals, etc)
relative dating
estimates the age of a fossil based on its placement in a layering of rock
radioactive/radiometric dating
uses mathematical formulas to study the amount of radioactive isotopes in a fossil
half life
the amount of time it takes a half radioactive isotope to decay into a new stable element
C-14/U-238
Used to study recent bones, becomes N in 5730 years
Used to study petrification, becomes Pb in 4.5 billion years
Jean Baptiste Lamark
A scientist who tried to explain how modern life forms differed from fossils
inheritance of acquired traits
Lamark’s idea that when an organism uses or doesn’t use a certain body part, it will develop certain characteristics and also passes these characteristic tot heir offspring.
ex. kangaroo, giraffe
use and disuse
inheritance of acquired traits
Lyell
Scientist who’s book and theories influenced Darwin
gradualism
the theory that the Earth has been slowly shaped by natural forces
ex. continental drift, canyons (erosion), volcanoes
continental drift
example of gradualism, panagea gradually separating
Thomas Malthus
Believed that human suffering (like famine) was due to the fact that populations grow faster than resources (crops) can be produced.
artificial selection
when humans control who reproduce
ex. horses (race vs work), dogs, plants
Darwin
father of evolution, famous naturalist, whose trip on the HMS beagle brought him to the Galapagos Islands.Originally was a natural theology major in college and was going to be a doctor but couldn’t take surgery.
Galapagos Islands
Islands that Darwin studied the animals and observed the similarities and differences from those of South America.
Natural Selection
the process by which individuals with inherited characteristics well-suited to the environment leave more offspring on average than do other individuals
ex. light vs dark rats, finches, moths
Evolution
all of the changes that have transformed life over an immense time
descent with modification or changes in the occurrences of genetic traits in a population due to natural selection resulting in the transformation of all life over long periods of time
remodeling
listen 3:00
adaptation
an inherited characteristic that improves an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment
a trait that allows an organism to survive in its environment.
example:
Galapagos Finches
Jack rabbit: fur blends well in desert
homeotic genes
regions od DNA that are responsible for turning on and off other genes. They regulate the timing of gene activities by making regulatory proteins that turn genes on.
ex. srY genes: determine the gender of baby
Vestigial Structures
remnant of a structure that may have had a larger function in a species ancestors but has a lesser function today.
ex. whales w/hipbones
comparative biochemistry
comparing the species of a similar organism
homologous structure
similar structures in a species that share a common ancestor
have a slight modification
pesticide resistance
a pesticide kills most of the bugs, but there is usually a survivor. That survivor reproduces and usually passes on the trait for pesticide resistance. This is why farmers change pesticides every few years.
antibiotic resistance
Not taking an antibiotic for the allotted period of time will not kill all the bacteria. The bacteria left will reproduce and be resistant to that antibiotic, causing a need for new and expensive antibiotics
peppered moths
Industrial Revolution caused pollution, which led to the environment turning black. At the time there were 2 moths, black and white. The white were surviving before but now nature was selecting the black one, due to its ability to blend into the dark forest.
Malaria Resistance
Those who are carriers of sickle cell are malaria resistant, advantageous trait where malaria is prominent
HIV/CCR5
people who are HIV resistant are missing a CCR5 protein on their cells (the doorknob)
lactose intolerant
disadvantage
Taxonomy
the study of naming all organisms and placing them in groups
Taxon
a level, one step, 1 layer of taxonomy
Linneaus
the father of taxonomy.
binomial nomenclature
Linneaus developed a 2 part name, or binomial. The first part is the genus and the second is the species
Scientific Name
the 2 names used global to refer to a life form
Classification hierarchy
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
Human classification
the part of taxonomy where life forms are grouped with others with similar ancestry or appearance
Domains
archaea, bacteria, eukaryotes
convergent evolution
organisms who aren’t closely related look the same because it benefits them in their environment. Similar adaptations that will help them survive the same environment
caldogram
a phylogenetic diagram that specifies unique features
ex. in book shows animals with backbones
analogous traits
similar adaptations that result from convergent evolution
ex. wings of insects and birds
spontaneous generation
In the middle ages, people accepted that life forms could arise spontaneously from non-life.
ex. a scientist showed if you mix wheat and sweaty underwear in a jar you would make mice
Redi
proved that maggots came from flies laying eggs on the meat
First to disprove spontaneous generation. His experiment had 3 jars with meat in it. One jar sealed close, one open, and the last was covered in netting. The one without the lid had maggots, both of the other none
Pastuer
proved that bacteria in the air caused things to mold
also disproved spontaneous fertilization. Boiled meat broth in flask until it became pliable, and bent it into the shape of an s, which allowed air to enter the flasks but airborne microorganisms couldn’t. No microorganism grew until he tilted the flask so the microorganisms could settle
Panspermia
Cricks theory that some organic monomers could come from space on meteorites which could have helped make the first cell
Big Bang
Theory that the universe began as a burst of fireworks, those bursts were the beginning of time
Lemaitre
A catholic priest who traveled with Einstein and theorized the Big Bang
Miller
his experiment showed how organic compounds first formed on earth from the atmosphere
JPL polymers
Attempted to make polymers
in experiment needed monomers, energy (heat), catalyst (clay).
Pre-cells
non-living cells. They are composed of polypeptides and RNA surrounded by a selectively permeable membrane
Anaerobe
an organism that doesn’t need oxygen to survive
microfossils
very small fossil that can only be viewed with a microscope.
