Evolution Basics
The theory that species gradually change over many generations to adapt to new environments that they have to live and survive in
What is the theory of evolution?
The person who is best known for writing about the scientific theory of evolution by natural selection
Who is Charles Darwin?
Preserved remains, impressions, or traces of a once-living thing
What are fossils?
Using genetic analysis to support the theory of evolution
What is DNA evidence?
Overuse of antibiotic medication
What is antibiotic resistance / bacterial evolution?
A hypothesis proposing that evolution happens gradually
What is gradualism?
The islands where Darwin observed creatures that significantly helped him in developing his theory of evolution
What are the Galapagos Islands?
Over time, layers of sediment cover dead organisms and harden to become sedimentary rock
How do most fossils form?
The comparison of structures of different organisms
What is comparative anatomy?
The study of the development of embryos across different species
What is embryology?
A set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other
What is species?
Overproduction, variation, and competition
What are 3 factors that affect the process of natural selection?
Hollow areas in sediment in the shape of an organism, or solid copies of the shape of an organism
What are molds and casts (types of fossils)?
Similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor
What are homologous structures?
Structures that remain from previous ancestors but no longer function or serve their original purpose
What are vestigial structures?
A hypothesis stating that species evolve quickly during some shorter periods of time, and then go through longer periods of time without change, creating gaps in the fossil record
What is punctuated equilibria?
When species with more advantageous traits will be more likely to survive, meaning they’ll be able to reproduce and pass on those advantageous traits down to their offspring
What is natural selection or "survival of the fittest"?
Fossils that are abundant, widespread, and short-lived
What are the three criteria that makes a fossil an index fossil?
A law stating that the bottom layer in the strata (layers of sedimentary rock) are the oldest, and the top layer is the youngest
What is the law of superposition?
The ability of a trait to be passed down from one generation to the next
What is heritability?
When a group within a species separates from other members of its species and develops its own unique characteristics due to natural selection and geographical isolation
What is speciation?
The title of Darwin's book
What is On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection?
Name three types of fossils (not including cast or mold)
What are petrified fossils, trace fossils, and preserved remains?
Giraffes that have longer necks survive a dry season by eating leaves from the tops of trees. Those giraffes breed more successfully that year.
What is natural selection / adaptation / survival of the fittest?
A scientist is studying the DNA of three species. Species A and species B have DNA that is 97% similar. Species C and species A have DNA that is 95% similar.
What is Species A and B have a closer evolutionary relationship than Species A and C do?