Why Being Mid Gets You Eliminated
Clue: This scientist proposed that organisms evolve through the inheritance of acquired characteristics, such as giraffes stretching their necks to reach food.
Who is Jean-Baptiste Lamarck?
This term describes all the alleles present in a population at a given time.
What is the gene pool
Two populations look identical but do not interbreed in nature. Which species concept best identifies them as separate species and why?
What is the biological species concept, because reproductive isolation defines species boundaries?
Why is a “natural classification system” expected to change over time as new data become available?
What is because classification reflects evolutionary relationships, which are revised as new evidence is discovered?
Scientists find fossils of aquatic mammals with hind limb bones that shrink over time. What evolutionary conclusion can be drawn from this pattern?
What is that modern aquatic mammals evolved from land-dwelling ancestors?
The study of the geographic distribution of species, which helped Darwin notice how similar species replace one another in different environments.
What is biogeography?
A change in allele frequencies within a population over time is called this.
What is microevolution?
Clue: Sharks and dolphins share similar body shapes but evolved from different ancestors. What type of trait similarity is this—and what does it not indicate?
What are analogous traits, and they do not indicate close evolutionary relatedness?
Why are wings a poor trait for grouping birds, bats, and insects together?
What is because wings are analogous structures that evolved independently?
A small group colonizes a new island and a rare recessive trait becomes common. Which evolutionary mechanism explains this and why?
What is the founder effect, because allele frequencies are determined by chance in small populations?
Clue: Darwin used this term to describe an individual’s reproductive success compared to others in the population.
What is fitness?
After a natural disaster, a population survives but loses genetic diversity. Even if the population size recovers, why doesn’t the diversity return?
What is that lost alleles are gone permanently unless reintroduced by mutation or gene flow?
Small changes in the expression of BMP4 and CaM genes result in large differences in finch beak shape. What does this suggest about how macroevolution occurs?
What is that changes in gene regulation can produce major evolutionary differences?
Two organisms look very different but share highly similar DNA sequences. Which line of evidence should carry more weight and why?
What is molecular data, because it reflects inherited genetic relationships rather than environmental adaptation?
Why would the Miller–Urey experiment fail if conducted in today’s atmosphere?
What is because modern Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere prevents the formation of organic molecules?
Clue: Giraffes in a population are born with different neck lengths. During a drought, trees with low leaves die off. Over generations, most giraffes have long necks. This outcome supports which scientist’s explanation of evolution and why?
Who is Charles Darwin, because individuals with longer necks had higher reproductive success?
a population shows changes in genotype frequencies but allele frequencies remain the same. Has evolution occurred? Explain.
What is no, because microevolution requires a change in allele frequencies?
Why are mutations in developmental genes like Hox or Pax6 especially important in macroevolution?
What is because they control body plans, so small changes can cause major structural differences?
A newly discovered microbe lives in extreme heat and has bacterial-looking cells, but its rRNA matches archaea. Which evidence matters more and why?
What is molecular evidence, because genetic data reflects true evolutionary relationships?
Two protocells exist: one can regulate what enters its membrane and one cannot. Which is more likely to persist and why?
What is the regulated protocell, because natural selection favors stability and controlled metabolism?
A bat’s wing and a whale’s flipper share bone structure but serve different functions. What does this evidence support about their evolutionary relationship?
What is common ancestry?
Why does the sickle-cell allele remain common in malaria-prone regions despite being harmful in homozygotes?
What is heterozygote advantage, because heterozygous individuals have increased survival?
A species appears suddenly in the fossil record and remains unchanged for millions of years. Which evolutionary model best explains this pattern?
What is punctuated equilibrium?
A bat and a bird both fly, but DNA places bats closer to whales. What evolutionary principle explains this result?
What is homology reflects ancestry, while flight is an analogous trait?
Mitochondria have their own DNA and divide independently. What conclusion does this support and why is it powerful evidence?
What is the endosymbiotic theory, because these traits resemble free-living prokaryotes?