Definitions
What is an organ or structure that no longer has a function but once did in an ancestor species?
A vestigial organ
What are four sources of evidence for evolution?
DNA, species distribution, fossils, comparative anatomy (vestigial and homologous structures)
What is artificial selection?
Selection controlled by human (selective breeding)
Bright feathers help a peacock find a mate. This is an example of which type of adaptation?
Structural
A process that results in changes in the genetic material of a population over time.
How do fossils provide evidence of evolution?
They provide evidence of ancestor species that no longer exist (show how a species has changed over time)
Variation is needed for natural selection to occur. How does variation usually arise in a population?
Mutations
What are the four steps of speciation?
1. Variation
2. Isolation
3. Selection
What is a non-living pressure that affects an organisms chance of survival?
Abiotic selection pressure/selective agent
How does DNA provide evidence for evolution?
Comparing the DNA of different species can tell us how related they are (how recently they shared a common ancestor)
Who was the scientist who wrote about natural selection in his book 'The Origin of Species'?
Charles Darwin
Evolution usually takes a long time. When might it occur much faster than normal?
When a species is short lived and reproduces quickly
What is a gene pool?
The genes present in a population.
How do vestigial structures provide evidence of evolution?
They are evidence that species have changed over time.
What are the four requirements for natural selection to occur?
1. Variation
2. Advantage
3. Selection
4. Passing on genes
For speciation to occur, a single population must be split in two and become isolated from one another. How can this isolation occur?
Geographically - separated by rivers, water, etc.
Different breeding practices
Active at different times of the day
What does phenotype mean?
How do homologous structures provide evidence of evolution?
They show the similarities between animals that are related - that come from a common ancestor.
How does the example of the peppered moth provide support for the theory of natural selection?
The peppered moth example demonstrates the processes of variation, advantage, selection, and passing on genes.
Evolution is a scientific theory. What does this mean?
A theory is the best explanation for ana set of observations.