Theory of Plate Tectonics
What is the name of the supercontinent theorized by Alfred Wegener?
Pangaea
Fossils help scientists determine the body structure of past organisms. What is another term for "body structure"?
anatomy
Which is more precise--determining relative age or using radioactive decay--to date a rock or fossil? Why?
Radioactive decay, because it can determine absolute age.
dog leg and whale flipper
homologous
Natural selection is also known as...
"survival of the fittest"
How do the continents' edges provide evidence for the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
The continents seem to fit together like puzzle pieces, which gives evidence that they were once joined.
If fossils found in undisturbed rock layers are arranged chronologically, where would the youngest fossils be found?
in the highest rock layers
Why is camouflage a useful adaptation for some organisms?
It helps them hide from predators or prey.
Why do species become extinct?
They lack the genetic variation to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
How do fossils provide evidence for the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
Fossils of similar species have been found on different continents, which gives evidence that the continents were once joined.
How can fossils found in undisturbed rock layers help scientists determine when a species became extinct?
If a species became extinct, its fossils will be found in lower rock layers but not in higher rock layers.
Why do the Galapagos finches have different beak sizes and shapes?
Because they evolved separately on different islands based on the main food source of that particular island.
What is the term used to describe a change in an organism's genetic material?
mutation
How do volcanoes and earthquakes provide evidence for the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
Volcanoes and earthquakes occur at plate boundaries and show that tectonic plates are still moving.
How do fossils provide evidence for the Theory of Evolution?
fossils of different species from different time periods have been found to have similar body structures
What is the law of superposition?
A scientific principle that states that in undisturbed rock layers, older rock layers are found below younger rock layers.
What do mutations cause?
genetic variation (differences in traits such as color, size, speed, etc. within a population of the same species)
Using the Theory of Plate Tectonics, explain why Asian and African elephants evolved into different species.
When Pangaea split, the two populations of elephants eventually ended up living in different environments and climates. Natural selection took over, different traits became dominant, and two different species evolved.
How are fossils useful for taxonomy?
Fossils give evidence of organisms' anatomy, which helps scientists classify the organisms.
What inferences can be made about the discovery of marine fossils on the top of mountains?
The land that makes up the top of a mountain was once under water. Fossils were trapped in these sedimentary rock layers before the mountains were formed.
What is the difference between an analogous and homologous structure?
Analogous--different structure/same function (no common ancestor); Homologous--same structure/different function (common ancestor)
What is the relationship between genetic variation and a species' ability to avoid becoming extinct?
the higher the genetic variation, the more likely the species is to survive for a longer period of time/less genetic variation puts a species more at risk for extinction