WEEK 3

Question 0

[21.1] The Beaks of Darwin’s Finches: Evidence of Natural Selection

Briefly explain how modern research has diversified through Darwin’s Selection Hypothesis?

Answer 0

[] It acts on variation in beak morphology, favoring large beaks during extended droughts and smaller beaked birds during long periods of heavy rains
- Variation is heritable, evolutionary change occurs in the frequencies of beak sizes in subsequent generations

Question 1

[21.1] The Beaks of Darwin’s Finches: Evidence of Natural Selection

What do the Galapagos finches exhibit in relation to the variation to food gathering

Key points
- Beak

Answer 1

[] The Correspondence between beak shape and it’s use in obtaining food suggested to Darwin that finch species had diversified and adapted to eat different foods

Question 2

[21.2] Peppered Moths and Industrial Melanism: More Evidence of Selection

Why are Light colored moths decreased in polluted areas?

Key points
- Distinct between polluted and non polluted

Answer 2

1. In polluted areas where soot built up on tree trunks, the “dark colored” form of the peppered moth become more common
2. And In unpolluted areas, light colored forms remained predominant

meaning that through experiments, light colored moths stand out in dark trunks leaving them vulnerable

Question 3

[21.2] Peppered Moths and Industrial Melanism: More Evidence of Selection

Define “Industrial Melanism”

Answer 3

Industrial Melanism refers to the phenomenon that dark individuals come to predominant over others

Question 4

[21.2] Peppered Moths and Industrial Melanism: More Evidence of Selection

Why is the agent of selection difficult to pin down?

Answer 4

[] Because, recent research has questioned whether bird predation is the agent of selection
[] The observation of dark colored moths has INCREASED during times of pollution then DECLINED as pollution abates
- this indicates that natural selection has acted on moth coloration

Question 5

[21.3] Artificial Selection: Human-Initiated Change

What does Artificial Selection operate?

Answer 5

[] It operated by favoring individuals with certain phenotypic traits

Question 6

[21.3] Artificial Selection: Human-Initiated Change

In relation to the Experimental Selection, what experiment did they do?

Answer 6

[] Lab experiments in directional selection have shown that evolutionary change can occur in these controlled populations

Question 7

[21.3] Artificial Selection: Human-Initiated Change

Give ONE example of an experimental Selection that produces changes in populations

Answer 7

[] Drosophilia Melanogaster (fruit fly)

Question 8

[21.3] Artificial Selection: Human-Initiated Change

In relation to Domesticated breeds, briefly explain it

Answer 8

[] Crop plants and domesticated breeds are often substantially different from their wild ancestors

[] Selection for purpose / appearance

Question 9

[21.4] Fossil evidence of Evolution

What is this topic about?

Answer 9

[] Fossils

Question 10

[21.4] Fossil evidence of Evolution

How are Rock fossils created [3 events occur]

Answer 10

1. Organism MUST become buried in sediment
2. Calcium in bone or tissue must mineralize
3. Surrounding sediment must harden to form rock form

Question 11

[21.4] Fossil evidence of Evolution

How can scientist estimate the age of fossils?

Consider
- Contrasting how it was aged through Darwin’s time and today’s aging.

Answer 11

[] Back in Darwin’s days, rocks were dated by their position with respect to one another

[] In today’s world, it is determined by using “Isotope Aging”

Question 12

[21.4] Fossil evidence of Evolution

What do fossils provide?

Answer 12

[] It provides successive evolutionary change

Question 13

[21.4] Fossil evidence of Evolution

What do Fossils document?

Answer 13

[] It documents their life through time:

• First origin of the prokaryotic
• Then Eukaryotic organisms

Question 14

[21.4] Fossil evidence of Evolution

What does Fossils show, prior to the last question?

Answer 14

[] It shows the “Waxing” and “Waning” of biological diversity through time.

Question 15

[21.4] Fossil evidence of Evolution

in regards to fossils document evolutionary transitions, briefly explain it + give an example

Answer 15

[] History of life on earth can be traced through fossil record

[] An example of this is the Archaeopteryx (Ancient Feather)
- Immediate’s found ancestral traits between bird and dinosaur

[] Recent discoveries (four legged mammal)
- Link between whales and Dolphins

Question 16

[21.5] Anatomical Evidence for Evolution

Homologous structures suggest common derivation, explain it

Answer 16

• It may have different appearances and functions even through derived from the same common ancestral body part

Question 17

[21.5] Anatomical Evidence for Evolution

Early Embryonic development shows similarities in some groups, explain it

Answer 17

[] It has strong evidence for evolution
[] It has different vertebrates 
[] Pharyngeal pouches
- Fish {gills, slits}
- Humans {glands, ducts}

[] It shows SIMILARITY in development patterns among species whose adult phenotypes are very different

[] Species have lost a feature that was present in an ancestral form often develop and then lose that feature during embryological development

Question 18

[21.5] Anatomical Evidence for Evolution

Some structures are imperfectly suited to their use, briefly explain it

Answer 18

[] Natural Selection can influence only the variation present in a population; because of this; evolution often results in a workable, but imperfect structures such as a the vertebrate eye.

Question 19

[21.5] Anatomical Evidence for Evolution

Talk about the Vestigial structures

Answer 19

[]The existence of vestigial structures supports the concept of common ancestry organism that share them.

[] No apparent function
[] Resembles ancestral structures
[] Anatomical Evidence
[] Molecular Evidence {ICE FISH DNA}

Question 20

[21.6] Convergent Evolution and the Biogeographical Record

Explain it [2] points; What is biogeography

Answer 20

1. Biogeography is the study of geographic distribution of species
2. Favored parallel evolutionary adaptation. this form of evolutionary change is refereed to as convergent Evolution

Question 21

[21.6] Convergent Evolution and the Biogeographical Record

Marsupials and placentals demonstrate convergence, explain it briefly

Answer 21

[] It may occur in species or populations exposed to similar selective pressures

Question 22

[21.6] Convergent Evolution and the Biogeographical Record

Convergent evolution is a widespread phenomenon, explain it

key point
- Hydrodynamic streamlining in marine species

Answer 22

[] Examples of hydrodynamic streamlining in marine species and the evolution of tree species on islands from ancestral forms that were not “treelike”

Question 23

[21.6] Convergent Evolution and the Biogeographical Record

Biogeographical studies provide further evidence of evolution, what is it?

Answer 23

[] Islands of species usually are closely related to species on nearby continents even is the environments are different. Early island colonizers often evolve into diverse species because other, competing species are scarce.

Question 24

[21.7] Darwin’s Critics

What is it?

Answer 24

[] It is universally accepted by Biologist

[] Controversy for some member of the society

Question 25

[21.7] Darwin’s Critics

What are his 7 objections/critics?

Answer 25

1. Evolution is not Solidly Demonstrated
2. There are no Fossil Immediate’s
3. Intelligent Design argument
4. Evolution violates the Second law of Thermodynamics
5. Proteins are too improbable
6. Natural Selection does not imply Evolution
7. The irreducible complexity argument

Question 26

[21.7] Darwin’s Critics

Answer 26

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