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History of Evolutionary Thought
Galapagos Islands
Natural Selection
Structures
Grab Bag
100
What is the hypothesis that evolution of a species occurs in periods of rapid change separated by periods of little or no change called?
punctuated equilibrium
100
What do fossil records provide evidence of?
Older species gave rise to more-recent species
100
What is one of the factors in natural selection?
Individuals of species compete with one another to survive. All species are genetically diverse. Individuals better able to adapt to changes leave more offspring.
100
What are structures that share a common ancestry or are similar because they are modified versions of structures from a common ancestor that contain the same basic bone structure?
Homologous
100
What makes something a subspecies?
They differ genetically because of adaptations for different living conditions
200
What is the hypothesis that evolution of a species occurs gradually over time as a slow and constant process known as?
gradualism
200
Where are the Galapagos Islands?
Ecuador, west of South America
200
What do individuals that are better able to cope with the challenges of their environment tend to do?
Leave more offspring than those less suited to the environment
200
What are structures with no function that are remnants of an organism’s evolutionary past?
Vestigial
200
What is the process in which organisms with traits well suited to an environment are more likely to survive and to produce offspring?
Natural Selection
300
How did Thomas Malthus influence Charles Darwin’s idea of natural selection?
The number of resources available can limit the survival of a species.
300
How were the islands named?
after the tortoise
300
Starting in 1954, commercial fishers in the northwest Pacific were paid by weight, rather than by the individual fish, for pink salmon. The fishers increased the use of a type of net that selectively catches larger fish. What effect did this change in fishing technique most likely have on the salmon population over the next 20 years?
The average body size of the salmon population decreased significantly
300
The presence of vestigial hind limb bones in baleen whales and extinct whales provides evidence of what?
Whales evolved from four-legged animals
300
Comparing human hemoglobin (from blood) of chimpanzees, horses, kangaroos, and chickens, reveal that humans are closest related to which animal?
chimpanzee
400
What did Charles Lyell propose that helped shape Darwin's theory of evolution?
uniformitarianism and that the Earth is millions of years old, not thousands
400
What was the name of the boat Charles Darwin took to the islands?
the Beagle
400
European rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859. The rabbits reproduced rapidly in their new habitat, displaced other animals, and overgrazed vegetation. In an attempt to reduce the rabbit population, a virus was introduced in 1951. This virus is usually deadly to European rabbits. When the virus was first introduced, the rabbits died in large numbers, but the death rate decreased over time. What best explains the decrease in the rabbit death rate?
Natural selection favored rabbits that were resistant to the virus.
400
What are analogous structures?
structures that are similar in function but not form
400
What is the accumulation of differences between species or populations called?
divergence
500
Explain Lamarck's theory of evolution
the law of use and disuse
500
What did Charles Darwin find most fascinating on the island?
finches
500
The Asian shore crab invaded parts of the eastern coast of the United States about 15 years ago. The Asian shore crab preys on blue mussels. In the time since the Asian shore crab arrived, the average shell thickness of the blue mussel population has increased. What is the most likely reason that this increase in shell thickness has occurred?
Blue mussels with thick shells survive and reproduce more successfully than mussels without thick shells.
500
What vestigial structure do all humans have?
tail bone
500
What is the formation of new species is a process known as?
speciation