Environment on Organisms
What term describes a non-living component of an ecosystem?
Abiotic factor
Give an example of a structural adaptation.
The thick fur of a polar bear helps insulate its body.
Put these events in order from oldest to newest:
1. First Eukaryotic cells
2. First humans
3. First vertebrates form in the ocean
4. First photosynthetic organisms
5. First amphibians
4,1,3,5,2
What is the study of fossils?
Palaeontology
What process explains how organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce over time?
Natural selection
What are the two different types of competition? Define each.
Interspecific - between two different species.
Intraspecific - between two of the same species.
What type of adaptation is this:
The burrowing of the desert frill-neck lizard during extreme heat
What is needed for speciation to occur?
Which type of evidence for evolution is demonstrated by the similarity in DNA sequences of the FOXP2 gene in humans and chimpanzees?
Biochemical evidence
The type of evidence for evolution that involves comparing physical structures between species.
Comparative anatomy
In a grassland ecosystem, a prolonged drought occurs. Which of the following is most likely to be an immediate effect on the plant population?
A. Increased genetic diversity.
B. Rapid evolutionary changes.
C. Selection for drought-tolerant individuals.
D. Uniform growth across all plant species.
C.
What are two examples of physiological adaptations in humans?
Sweating to regulate body temperature
Vasoconstriction and dilation
Define divergent and convergent evolution and give an example of each.
Divergent - One species turns into two or more different species. e.g finches
Convergent - Two species develop similar characteristics when exposed to the same selection pressures. e.g dolphin and shark
How does the fossil record provide evidence for evolution?
It shows how organisms have changed over time. Transition fossils. More time = more biodiversity.
What term describes a community of organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment?
Ecosystem
How did the introduction of cane toads act as a selection pressure to cause a change in a population over time?
Red belly black snakes have smaller heads in areas cane toads are found. The ones with larger heads consumed larger toads and more poison, causing them to die out.
Consider the following adaptations in Australian organisms:
I. The ability of koalas to detoxify eucalyptus leaves.
II. The migration of bogong moths to alpine areas in summer.
III. The spines on an echidna.
IV. The camouflage patterns on a leaf-tailed gecko.
What type of adaptation is each?
I. Physiological adaptation
II. Behavioral adaptation.
III. Structural adaptation.
IV. Structural adaptation.
What is the difference between gradualism and punctuated equilibrium?
Gradualism suggests microevolutionary changes occur over long periods of time.
Punctuated equilibrium suggests that there are long periods with little change followed by short bursts of rapid change.
Describe the uses of relative and radiometric dating.
Relative dating orders fossils/rock strata from oldest to newest.
Radiometric dating can be used to give the exact age of a fossil or a rock layer.
1. What term describes where a species is found within a particular area?
2. What term describes the number of individuals of a species in a given area?
1. Distribution
2. Abundance
What are five biotic relationships that can act as selection pressures in an ecosystem?
Predator prey
Competition
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
Darwin made observations of the adaptations of finches on the Galapagos islands.
1. What structure varies most between finch species?
2. What was the main selective pressure on finch beaks?
1. Beak shape and size
2. Food availability
What are the four steps in the process of evolution through natural selection?
1. Variation
2. Selection (survival of the fittest)
3. Inheritance
4. Change over time
State the evidence used for each example:
1. The presence of pharyngeal arches in human and fish embryos
2. The distribution of marsupials primarily in Australia and South America
3. The similarity in limb bone structure between bats and birds
4. The near-identical amino acid sequence of cytochrome c in humans and chimpanzees
1. Comparative Embryology
2. Biogeography
3. Comparative Anatomy
4. Biochemical Evidence
Define:
1. Controlled Variables
2. Dependent Variable
3. Independent Variable
1. What stays the same
2. What you measure
3. What you change