Evolution Basics
Most evolutionary changes occur over this timescale , so slow we rarely observe it in a human lifetime.
What is thousands or millions of generations?
This is one key reason the fossil record is incomplete , these types of organisms almost never fossilize.
What are soft-bodied creatures?
This scanning technique creates 3D images at microscopic resolution, far beyond hospital scanners.
What is synchrotron CT scanning?
In this type of evolution, similar traits come from a SHARED ancestor , like the human arm and whale flipper.
What is homologous evolution?
The outside-in theory says teeth evolved from this type of ancient structure first.
What is sensory skin armor / external odontodes?
Evolution is NOT this , it is driven by real environmental pressures, not luck.
What is random chance?
The ancient fish in this study lived during this geologic period, about 465 million years ago.
What is the Ordovician?
This fossil arthropod was misidentified as the earliest vertebrate in a 1996 Nature paper , for 30 years!
What is Anatolepis?
Cacti in the Americas and Euphorbias in Africa independently evolved these features in separate deserts.
What are thick stems, spines, and water storage?
This modern relative of sharks has denticles covering its entire skin , shown in a heat-mapped CT scan in the lecture.
What is a skate?
After industrial pollution darkened tree bark, this moth color became dominant because birds could no longer spot them.
What is dark moth?
The age of Earth's history from which all life has evolved ,roughly this many billion years.
What is 3.8 billion years?
This Ordovician fish confirmed genuine dentine in its odontodes, proving vertebrate-like sensory armor existed 465 MYA.
What is Eriptychius?
Bat wings and eagle wings are both used for flight, yet evolved completely independently , bat wings use these structures to form the wing membrane, while eagle wings are modified forelimbs.
What are elongated fingers?
According to this study, the ancient origin of your tooth nerves , what you feel when sipping cold water , dates to this era.
What is the Ordovician (465 million years ago)?