Topic 4 - Natural Selection and Genetic Modification Flashcards
What is this a definition of: ‘A group of organisms that can reproduce with one another, producing offspring that can also reproduce’?
species
What is the scientific name for the modern human species?
Homo sapiens
From what type of creatures are modern humans thought to have evolved?
apes
What are the remains of organisms that have been turned into rock called?
fossils
Sedimentary rock exists in layers, one on top of another. Which layers are the youngest?
uppermost
Which substances did early human-like animals make tools out of?
wood, stone
Why do we only find the stone tools now?
The wooden ones have rotted.
Which of these three species is most closely related to modern humans, and how can you tell: habilis, Australopithecus afarensis, Ardipithecus ramidus?
Homo habilis, because the first word of its scientific name is the same as that of modern humans.
On which continent are the oldest human-like fossils found?
Africa
What is this a definition of: ‘A gradual change in the characteristics of a species over time’?
evolution
Where does the evidence come from that humans evolved?
fossils, stone tools
Over how many years can scientists trace human evolution?
millions, 4–5 million years
Name one trend that has occurred in the bodies of human-like species as they have evolved over millions of years.
walking upright, feet with short toes, larger brains, flatter faces, taller skulls etc.
What are the differences in characteristics between two organisms called?
variation
One type of variation is ‘environmental variation’, in which the environment causes variation in characteristics. What is the other form of variation called?
inherited variation
Suggest one reason why polar bears are better adapted than black bears to living in the Arctic.
sensible suggestion, such as they are white and so can avoid being seen against the snow by their prey
What is the name of the scientist who is most well known for developing a theory about evolution?
Charles Darwin
Some scientists think that a species called Homo heidelbergensis evolved into both Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. What is a species that evolves into two species like this called?
common ancestor
What is the scientific name for modern humans?
Homo sapiens
What do we call the system of scientific naming for organisms?
binomial system