Fossil Record and Geological Timescale
The preserved remains or traces of organisms from the past
What are fossils?
DNA is important because it contains this type of information about organisms
What is genetic information?
Differences in traits among individuals in a population are called this
What is variation? (genetic variation)
A trait that increases an organism's chances of survival
What is an adaptation?
When humans choose which organisms reproduce to get desired traits it is called this.
What is artificial selection?
This kind of rock most commonly contains fossils because it forms in layers
What is sedimentary rock?
Structures in different species that are similar because of shared ancestry
What are homologous structures?
When an offspring receives a trait from its parent
What is inheritance?
The process by which populations evolve to become distinct species, forming new biological lineages
What is speciation?
Dogs bred for specific traits like size or fur color are an example of this process
What is selective breeding?
A sudden disappearance of many species in the fossil record
What is mass extinction?
This type of structure has similar function but different evolutionary origin
What are analogous structures?
Individuals with beneficial traits are more likely to do these two things successfully
What are survive and reproduce?
If an environment changes too quickly and a species isn't prepared to deal with those changes this is likely to happen
What is extiction?
This modern technology allows scientists to influence an organism’s DNA or gene expression
What is genetic engineering?
Fossils of marine organisms found in the mountains provide evidence that these areas were once in this type of environment
What is an ocean? (or underwater environment)
Comparing anatomical structures and DNA sequences helps scientists build this diagram showing relationships
What is a phylogenetic tree (or cladogram)?
A random change in DNA that can introduce new traits into a population
What is mutation?
Sometimes this person is referred to as the "father of evolution?"
Who is Charles Darwin?
Crops modified to resist pests or grow faster are called this type of organism
What are genetically modified organisms (GMO's)?
The change in inherited traits of a population of organisms over many generations (often seen in the fossil record)
What is evolution?
A whale’s flipper, a chimpanzee arm, and a bat’s wing have similar bone structures but different functions, providing evidence for this concept.
What is common ancestry?
When environmental conditions favor certain traits, individuals with those traits increase in number over time
What is natural selection?
The less differences in the amino acid sequences of two species means they have one of these
What is a recent common ancestor?
Animal welfare, reduced genetic diversity, and sometimes high mortality (death) rates are examples of this.
What are the ethical concerns of artificial selection?