It's in the record
The geologic timescale uses what units for time?
MYA (millions of years ago)
An organism can change their genes by themselves if they want to have a new adaptation. True or False?
FALSE
The most fit individual is the one who
leaves the most offspring
What single trait showed huge variation in the finch population studied by Charles Darwin?
Beak shape
The law of superposition states that ...
the oldest fossils are deepest in the ground as newer layers of sediment have been added
Where do organisms get their adaptations from?
Their parents / ancestors
In artificial selection, what agent determines if an individual is "fit" to reproduce?
Humans decide
Besides beak shape, what traits could make a SMALL ground finch more competetive?
aggressiveness, speed, or camouflage
What phenomenon was shown in the fossil record to DISPROVE Lamarck's hypothesis about acquired characteristics?
Mass extinctions
If a pregnant animal is injured, then her offspring will always be born with similar injuries. True or False
False - injuries are not inheritable characteristics
Males birds of paradise are selected based on their plummage and dance moves. This is an example of which 2 conditions of natural selection?
Variation and struggle to survive
What selection agent caused the evolution of different species of finches?
Type of foods available
What observations of the fossil record could show evidence of a major ecological disturbance?
- large numbers of mass extinctions
- disruption of sedimentary layers
The biggest misconception/misunderstanding about adaptations and natural selection is that
Adaptations arise because organisms need to survive.
An organism could live for a long time but still be considered un-fit if what?
They aren't able to reproduce
What genetic event could cause the offspring of a brown bear to be born with white fur?
A genetic mutation
Fossilized remains of a transitional species could provide evidence for evolution because
- the adaptations could be in between the ancestor and modern relatives
- it could be in a layer between a known ancestor and modern relative
- they show evidence that organisms have gone extinct in the past
... many more ...
An ecological disruption destroys the habitat of a population that has low levels of genetic variation. What is the most likely result for this population?
This population will either die off or shrink significantly because there is less variation. Less variation in the population creates a lower chance that surviving individuals will have helpful traits to recover.
When under extreme stress, some organisms will eat their young. Are these indivuals still considered "fit"?
No. The offspring must survive to sexual maturity to be counted for natural selection.
What could explain similar traits that exist in different species of organisms?
A common ancestor OR
Similar threats in their environments