Important People
He laid the groundwork for Evolutionary Theory, but modern evolution is something he "never knew."
Charles Darwin
What is another word for the coccyx? Why is it vestigial?
Tailbone - It is what's left of a tail structure.
What does the name Tiktaalik mean?
Large freshwater fish
What enzyme is responsible for digesting lactose?
Lactase
Without this, DNA would stay the same for generation after generation.
mutations
His team worked in the Arctic in the early 2000s to discover the fossil of Tiktaalik.
Neil Shubin
What is the basic pattern of the bones in humans and other four-limbed vertebrates?
One bone, two bones, many bones, digits.
Tiktaalik's fossil was found in the Canadian Arctic on this island.
Ellesmere Island
List 2 reasons (out of 3) why it is advantageous for humans to continue to be able to digest lactose after infancy.
- Nutrients (fat and protein)
- Uncontaminated (no harmful bacteria)
- Survival during famine situations
This is a section of DNA that is NOT a gene, but rather turns genes on or off.
Switch
He developed a theory of evolution through natural selection independently of Charles Darwin. They were collaborators, but he did not receive as much credit as Darwin did.
Alfred Wallace
What are the names of the 3 small bones in the human ear? What structure did they evolve from?
malleus, incus, stapes - jaw bones or gills (will accept either)
Explain why Tiktaalik is called a fishapod. What characteristics connect Tiktaalik to our ancestors?
Part fish, part tetrapod. Answer up to teacher's discretion.
What is sickle cell disease? Why does it cause pain?
The study of these shows many similarities in structures between animals before they are fully developed (born)
embryos
Most well-known for research on genes that control animal body patterns. He also wrote the article "It's a Fishapod" about Neil Shubin.
Sean B. Carroll
What are the 2 ways human brains are similar to the brains of other primates?
- Specialized regions for controlling, grasping, and manipulating objects.
Tiktaalik was a fossil found from soil of what time period? (385-365 million years ago)?
Devonian Period
Which areas of the world have the most genetic prevalence for sickle cell trait?
West Africa, Mediterranean, etc.
This type of body plan gene was first found in Drosophila (fruit flies)
Hox genes
This grad student first located Tiktaalik, causing the camp to worry that he had been eaten by a polar bear.
Ted Daeschler
What are opsins? How many do Humans have? How does this help us compared to other animals (Kramer)
Proteins in the eyes that help detect colour. We have 3. This helps us see more colour because we have more than other animals (Kramer only has 2).
Tiktaalik's fossil helped bridge the gap in the fossil record between Eusenoptheron and this 4 footed fish.
Acanthostega
In an area where Malaria is present, which phenotype is most likely to survive and why? Homozygous (no sickle trait), Heterozygous (sickle cell trait), Homozygous (sickle cell disease)
Heterozygous because the sickle cell trait prevents the malaria parasite from attaching to the blood cells.
A mutation in this human bone allowed humans to develop bigger brains (cephilization). This correlation was discovered by a doctor studying what disorder?
The human jaw - microcephaly