Graphs
What are the independent and dependent variables?
x-axis is independent variable
y-axis is the dependent variable
4 fossil types
amber (tree resin that is hard-Jurassic Park)
mold/imprint (empty/hollow imprint left from the organism) casts (forms when sediment fills the mold)
petrified (wood/bone/shell)
How do rocks form?
Weathering-breaks rocks into smaller parts called sediment
Erosion- moves sediment via wind, water, ice, gravity.
Sediment- deposited, compacted and cemented creating a new rock layer. (Ex: lakes= mud, oceans= marine skeletons, desert= sand, river=rounded pebbles)
What 4 pcs of evidence supports the Theory of Evolution?
Fossil
Anatomical (Anatomy)
Molecular (DNA)
Embryological (Embryo)
Charles Darwin
Theory of Natural Selection
Organisms that are best suited to their environment survive and reproduce
“Survival of the fittest”
Based on an organism’s phenotype
What are the three shapes of graphs?
Linear (straight diagonal line)
Exponential (j-shaped curve)
Inversely proportional (downward curve) (x-axis increase and y-axis decrease)
How do you determine the age of the layers of rock?
The further down the layers, the older it is.
How do fossils form?
Fossils form when layers are deposited on top of remains.
Almost all fossils are found in sedimentary rock.
What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
Earth’s crust is made of rigid lithospheric plates (which are made of continents and ocean floor).
The continents are moving and were once connected.
Fossil evidence supports plate tectonics theory.
Hutton and Lyell
Recognized that Earth is millions of years old, not thousands
Processes that changed Earth in the past are still happening today.
What evidence supports that the arctic was once warm and humid?
Evidence of Petrified forests
What is weathering?
Weathering: the chemical, physical, and biological process of breaking rocks and minerals down into smaller pieces.
Fossil Evidence (3)
Anatomical (Anatomy) Evidence- similarities in structure
Molecular (DNA) Evidence- compare sequences of DNA
Lamarck
Hypothesized that traits acquired in one generation would be passed to the next
Acquired traits due to actions of the organism (Example: Long necks of giraffes)
Bacteria and algae fossil remains date back to what era?
Precambrian Era
What is erosion?
Erosion: the loosening, removal, and transport of weathered material by wind, water, ice, and gravity.
Anatomical Evidence (What are homologous structures?)
Homologous organs or body parts- Similar in structure (Examples: forelimbs of whales, human arm, Hox Genes)
Human appendix provides evidence of evolution
- structure is called vestigial
Hugo De Vries
Claimed new species arose from “mutations.”
Called "Mutation Theory of Evolution"
What are two methods scientists use to determine age of rocks?
Principle of Superposition
Relative Dating- Age of a rock layer compared to another rock layer (older/ younger)
Absolute Dating- Numeric age of rock determined through radiometric dating
What do transitional fossils show?
Fossils with a mixture of features of two different, but related, taxonomic groups.
Homologous Structure examples
Forelimbs of human arm, horse, cat, whale, bat bird
Or human, cat, whale, bat fingers/wing tips
or vertebrate embryos of man, pig, reptile, bird
Theory of Natural Selection
Interaction of genes and environment during development
Causes variations in phenotype
Phenotype: physical and behavioral characteristics
Only phenotypes that benefit the organism the most survive long enough to reproduce
Allows trait to be more common in population’s gene pool (specific genotypes)