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Environmental Science > Test 2 > Flashcards

Test 2 Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
0
Q

Used to classify animals; involves hierarchy with different levels

A

Linnaean System of Classification

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1
Q

The science of classifying organisms

A

Taxonomy

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2
Q

Levels of classification

A 
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
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3
Q

Simple, single-called organisms that lack a nucleus

A

Prokaryotes

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4
Q

Thrive in extreme environments

A

Archaebacteria

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5
Q

Characterized by complex cells in which the genetic material is found within the nucleus

A

Eukaryotes

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6
Q

Typically unicellular organisms

A

Protista

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7
Q

History of organism lineages as they change through time

A

Phylogeny

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8
Q

Classification based on the number of shared physical characteristics. Does not account for evolution

A

Phenetic Classification

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9
Q

Classification based solely on phylogeny or shared common ancestry

A

Cladistic Phylogeny

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10
Q

The continuous genetic adaptation of organisms or species to their environment through time

A

Evolution

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11
Q

Floods and earthquakes must have periodically killed off organisms in parts of the world and new organisms from other parts of the world moved in to repopulate the regions

A

Catastrophe theory

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12
Q

Physical characteristics were acquired due to inner needs and inherited by future generations

A

Lemarckian evolution

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13
Q

Darwin’s two key observations

A

1) Members of a single species tend to vary a little

2) populations produce more offspring than needed for maintenance - results in competition for natural resources

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14
Q

Process by which favorable traits become more common and unfavorable traits become less common in successive generations of a population

A

Natural selection

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15
Q

Evidence of evolution

A
  • homologous structures
  • vestigial organs
  • biochemistry
  • early embryonic development
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16
Q

Body parts of similar origin, structure, and development but adapted for different functions

A

Homologous structures

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17
Q

Reduced or useless structures in plants or animals that are useful in other organisms

A

Vestigial organs

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18
Q

Study of chemical processes in living organisms; metabolism of vastly different organisms is based on the same complex compounds

A

Biochemistry

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19
Q

The remains of or trace of the presence of an ancient organism

A

Fossil

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20
Q

Preserved remains of an ancient organism

A

Body fossil

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21
Q

Indication of an ancient organism

A

Trace fossil

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22
Q

Occurs when an animal dies and is rapidly buried by soft sediments in low oxygen environments

A

Fossilization

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23
Q

Bones are converted into solid rock

A

Replacement

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24
Q

Certain traits show up in offspring without any blending of parent characteristics

A

Mendel’s Law of Inheritance

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25
Q

Permanent inheritable change in genetic material within cells

A

Mutation

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26
Q

Group of individuals capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring

A

Species

27
Q

The origin of a new species from two or more individuals of a pre-existing one

A

Speciation

28
Q

Process through which populations of the same species are physically isolated and evolve separately

A

Allopatric Speciation

29
Q

Process through which new species evolve from a single ancestral species inhabiting the same geographic region; speciation through biological isolation

A

Sympatric Speciation

30
Q

States that most species will show little change over most of their geological history. This is interrupted by abrupt, brief periods of change; suggest phyletic gradualism

A

Punctuated Equilibrium

31
Q

Species split into two distinct species rather than one species gradually transforming into another

A

Phyletic gradualism

32
Q

Process where organisms not closely related independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches

A

Convergent evolution

33
Q

Process by which a species splits into two or more descendent species resulting in one similar species becoming more and more dissimilar

A

Divergent evolution

34
Q

Body size increases during the evolution of species

A

Cope’s rule

35
Q

Rapid expansion of a species over a relatively short period of time; usually caused by adaptive breakthroughs and extinction events

A

Evolutionary radiation

36
Q

Appearance of key features or traits that allow the species to succeed

A

Adaptive breakthroughs

37
Q

Death of one species which presents opportunities for another one

A

Extinction events

38
Q

Disappearance of large numbers of plants and animals; caused by extraterrestrial impact, climate change, disease, predation, and natural disasters

A

Mass extinctions

39
Q

Start of the universe

A

13.7 billion years ago

40
Q

Age of the Earth

A

4.6 billion years

41
Q

Same elements with different number of neutrons

A

Isotopes

42
Q

Persist in environment

A

Stable isotope

43
Q

Not stable and once formed, will decay to form stable ones

A

Radioactive isotopes

44
Q

Amount of time for half of the original radioactive isotope to decay to the stable end product

A

Half life

45
Q

Eons

A

Precambrian

Phanerozoic

46
Q

Eras

A

Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic

47
Q

Process by which Terrestrial planets formed through the continuous collision of rocky debris. Rocks melted and denser material migrated to the center of the planet

A

Differentiation

48
Q

Without oxygen

A

Anaerobic

49
Q

1st life appears

A

3.8 billion years ago

50
Q

Age of invertebrates

A

Early Paleozoic

51
Q

Beginning of the Paleozoic when there is a great diversity of life

A

Cambrian explosion

52
Q

Age of fishes

A

Middle Paleozoic

53
Q

Age of amphibians

A

Late Paleozoic

54
Q

Mammal-like reptiles

A

Therapsids

55
Q

Age of the reptiles

A

Early Mesozoic

56
Q

Age of the dinosaurs

A

Middle and late Mesozoic

57
Q

Age of the mammals

A

Cenozoic Era

58
Q

When humans split off from true apes

A

Between 8 and 6 million years ago

59
Q

Shows traits of both apes and humans

A

Australopithecines

60
Q

“Handy man”; 1st known species of genus homo

A

Homo Habilis

61
Q

“To set upright”; evolved larger brains and made more elaborate tools that Homo Habilis

A

Homo Erectus

62
Q

“Wise or knowing man”; larger brains and even more elaborate tools than Home Erectus

A

Homo Sapiens

63
Q

Number of Kingdoms of Life

A

6: Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

64
Q

First organisms to move out of the sea onto land due to a development of a rigid stalk, root system, and vascular system.

A

Plants

65
Q

What adaption freed plants of their dependence on moist conditions and allowed them to move further inland?

A

Seeds

66
Q

Four measures of Geologic Time Scale

A

Eons, Eras, Periods, and Epochs

Environmental Science (4 decks)

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