Darwin and Natural Selection
Selective breeding by humans in order to produce desirable traits in livestock and plants
Artificial selection
Any evidence of past life, including chemical evidence body parts, traces or impressions of an animal or plant that has been preserved.
Fossil
The benthic, dark-dwelling marine fern-like organism found first in rocks from Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire, England
Charnia
The small, wormlike, swimming animal that had a bristly rod resembling a backbone
Pikaia
How many points each in-class activity is worth in this course
10
Evolution can be defined as a change in the ________ of a population over time.
genetic makeup
The process by which, under weight, and over long periods of time, the materials which made up the body of the plant or animal may be leached out and replaced with minerals.
Mineralization
The approximate period of time that simple microscopic organisms were the only life forms on Earth
3 billion years
The genus of dragonfly with a wingspan of approximately 3 feet
Meganeura
The common course number of this course (4 letters and 4 numbers)
BIOL 1309
The two conditions required for evolution in a population.
1) There must be genetic variation.
2) There must be pressure from the environment that favors one combination of DNA over others.
2 sources of bias in the fossil record.
-Location: Aquatic organisms are more likely to be preserved
-Body type: Hard-bodied organisms are more likely to be preserved
The curious collection of evolutionary dead ends that grew and developed utilizing a simple branching pattern found at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, Canada
Fractal animals
The major factor thought to have caused the end of the 'Golden Age of Arthropods'
A drop in oxygen concentration caused by the death of rainforests
How many exams we have in this course (including the optional comprehensive final)
6
The phrase describing the idea that traits are passed down from generation to generation and sometimes undergo changes or modifications over time.
Descent with modification
The element that, over time, radioactive uranium (U) decays into.
Lead (Pb)
The first known organism with a bilateral body plan
Spriggina
Trilobites uniquely had eye lenses made of this mineral
Calcite
The piece of information I require in the subject line when emailing me
The common course number
"The use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge gained by this process."
Science (as defined by the National Academy of Sciences)
The half-life of unobtanium is 10 years. A specimen is found which originally contained 2000 atoms of unobtanium, and now contains 250 atoms. How old is the specimen?
30 years
2000/2=1000; 1000/2 = 500; 500/2 = 250
It divided in half 3 times. 3 x 10 = 30.
A relatively new type of reproduction that serves to increase genetic variation in the offspring
Sexual reproduction
Name at least 2 of the 3 problems that had to be solved in order for animals to move from water to land
-dessication
-how to breathe (ventilate)
-energy acquisition (food)
The first name of the author of the scientific work, 'On the Origin of Species'
Charles