U6 C3 Flashcards
1
Q
Paleontology
A
- Study of prehistoric life through the fossil record
2
Q
Morphology
A
- Study of the form of living things
3
Q
Biogeography
A
- Study of the geographic distribution of plants and animals
4
Q
Embryology
A
- Study of embryo development
5
Q
Biochemistry
A
- Study of chemical processes in living things
6
Q
Fossils
A
- Preserved remains of organisms
7
Q
Endemic species
A
Species that exist only in one geographic region
8
Q
Pseudogenes
A
Nonfunctional genes
9
Q
Explain the role of transitional fossils in providing
evidence for evolution.
A
- These fossils play a key role in helping us piece together
evolutionary history, specifically by connecting extinct to current
species.
10
Q
Homologous Structures include ex
A
- Homologous: Same form due to common ancestry, but different
function due to living in different environments. - Result of divergent evolution
- Ex. Human and cat forelimbs
11
Q
Analogous Structures include ex
A
- Analogous: species that have the same function due to same environment, but
different form due to different ancestry. - Result of convergent evolution
- Ex. A horse’s eye and a fly’s eye
12
Q
Vestigial Structures include ex
A
- Vestigial: Useless but potentially leftover from a previous
ancestor. - Result of divergent evolution
- Ex. Leg bones in a whale
13
Q
Describe how biogeography and embryology provide
evidence of evolution.
A
- Biogeography matches what we predict happened with
continental drift and provides evidence of divergent evolution. - Embryology reveals that vertebrate embryos have many
similarities when developing in the womb and thus could reflect
common ancestry.
14
Q
List the two macromolecules that provide evidence for
evolution in the field of biochemistry.
A
- Nucleic acids and proteins
15
Q
direct evolution
A
microevolution that has been directly observed due to occuring in population with short life cycles that reproduce quickly
