Early Ideas About Evolution
Any change in the inheritable traits within a population across generations is known as
Evolution
a difference in a physical trait
What is variation
the process by which humans select traits through breeding
Artificial Selection
Fossils in ______ layers are more primitive than those in the ______ layers
older(lower)/newer(upper)
traces of organisms that existed in the past
fossils
Fossils created when organisms become trapped in tree resin that hardens into amber
Amber-preserved fossils
The hypothesis that states that earth formed from a condensing nebula
the nebular hypothesis
The two requirements for two organisms to be considered apart of the same species
Must be able to reproduce and have fertile offspring
A feature that allow an organism to better survive in its environment.
Adaptation
Mechanism by which individuals that have inherited beneficial adaptations produce more offspring on average than other individuals
Natural Selection
Structures that are similar in structure but different in function and are evidence of a common ancestor
Homologous structures
Two closely-related organisms will have _______ DNA sequences
Similar
The amount of time it takes for half of an isotope to decay
Half-life
A cloud of gas and dust in space
nebula
Theory of geologic change that states natural disasters have shaped landforms and caused species to become extinct
Catastrophism
What was the name of the ship Darwin sailed on?
The Beagle
The measure of an organism's survival ability and ability to produce offspring
Fitness
Remnants of organs or structures that had a function in an early ancestor.
Vestigial Structures
What type of evidence provides a record of evolution
fossils
Record the activity of an organism Ex: Nests, footprints etc.
Trace fossils
Membrane enclosed spheres formed spontaneously by lipid molecules
liposomes
The theory of geologic change that states that the geologic processes that shape Earth are uniform throughout time
Uniformitarianism
variation among members of different species
Interspecific Variation
The natural selection principle that states that the differences among individuals result from differences in the genetic material of the organisms
Principle of variation
Ostrich wings are an example of...
a vestigial structure
the study of fossils or extinct organisms
paleontology
Type of fossil that forms when flowing water removes all of the original tissue, leaving an impression
natural cast fossil
This hypothesis proposes that RNA was the first genetic material.
RNA World Hypothesis
Scientist who believed in acquired traits and thought environmental change leads to use or disuse of a structure
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
variation among members of the same species
Intraspecific Variation
Producing many offspring, some of which may not survive (offers a better chance of survival)
Principle of Overproduction
Structures that have a similar function but are NOT evidence of a common ancestor
Analogous structures
Genes that indicate a very distant common ancestor, control the development of specific structures, and are found in many organisms
Hox genes
Fossils that form when an entire organism becomes encased in material such as ice or volcanic ash etc.
Preserved remains
RNA molecules that catalyze their own replication.
Ribozymes
Scientist who created the classification system from kingdom to species
Carolus Linnaeus
What did Darwin notice about Galápagos tortoises that live in areas with tall plants
They had long necks and legs.
The struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources
competition
How does embryology provide evidence of evolution?
Embryos of very different organisms develop similarly - diversify at later stages
DNA sequences that no longer function but provide evidence of evolution. (“junk DNA”)
Pseudogenes
Most common form of fossilization occurs when minerals carried by water are deposited around a hard structure
Permineralization
Experiment that demonstrated organic compounds could be made by passing an electric current through a mixture of gasses
Miller-Urey Experiment
Scientist who was one of the first to think species shared ancestors rather than arising separately
Buffon
What did Darwin notice about Galápagos finches that live in areas with hard-shelled nuts
They have strong beaks
The natural selection principle that states a heritable trait that is beneficial in the environment becomes more common in a population each generation
Principle of Decent with Modification
What do you compare when using molecular biology to study evolution?
DNA sequences or amino acid sequences of proteins
a protein found in mitochondria that most animals have
Cytochrome c
Estimates the time during which an organism lived by comparing the placement of fossils in layers of rock.
Relative dating
The hypothesis that states that organic molecules could've been brought by meteorite impacts.
Meteorite Hypothesis
Geologist who thought species could become extinct because he observed that each rock layer held its own specific type of fossils.
Georges Cuvier
What did Darwin notice about the fossils of extinct animals
they resemble modern animals
The four main principles to the theory of natural selection
Variation, Adaptation, Overproduction, and Descent with Modification
When using geography as evidence of evolution, what do Island species most closely resemble
The nearest mainland species
What reveals similarities among cell types of different organisms
Protein comparisons, or molecular fingerprinting
Way of estimating the age of fossils by using the decay of unstable isotopes
radiometric dating
What is the eon of the earth's earliest history
Hadean Eon