Evolutionary Theory (Pre-Darwin)
Q: He proposed the theory of "Acquired Characteristics."
A: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Q: Preserved remains or traces of organisms from the past.
A: Fossils
Q: Process where helpful traits are passed to the next generation.
A: Natural Selection
Q: Selection favoring average individuals over extremes.
A: Stabilizing Selection
Q: The study of evolutionary relationships among species.
A: Phylogeny
Q: The French naturalist who believed species evolved toward perfection.
A: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Q: Body parts with same structure but different uses.
A: Homologous structures
Q: A trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.
A: Adaptation
Q: Selection favoring one extreme phenotype over others.
A: Directional Selection
Q: This represents a common ancestor on a tree.
A: Node
Q: He developed the system for naming and classifying organisms.
A: Carolus Linnaeus
Q: Study of the distribution of species around the Earth.
A: Biogeography
Q: When more organisms are born than the environment can support.
A: Overpopulation
Q: Selection where both extremes are favored over the average.
A: Disruptive Selection
Q: DNA sequence of 183 nucleotides found in all Hox genes.
A: Homeobox
Q: Geologist who proposed the theory of "Uniformitarianism."
A: Charles Lyell
Q: Body parts with little to no use (e.g., whale pelvic bones).
A: Vestigial organs
Q: Humans choosing which organisms breed for desired traits.
A: Artificial Selection
Q: Any force in the environment that influences survival.
A: Selection pressure (or agent)
Q: The acronym for the common ancestor of all life on Earth.
A: LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor)
Explain the difference between Catastrophism and Gradualism.
Catastrophism suggests sudden violent events shaped Earth; Gradualism suggests slow, continuous changes.
What is the main difference between Homologous and Analogous structures?
Homologous have same origin/structure but different use; Analogous have same use but different origin.
In Artificial Selection, what is the main risk of Inbreeding?
It increases the chance of unfavorable (harmful) alleles appearing in the offspring.
Describe the result of the Yellowthroat bird example of Disruptive Selection.
The population splits into groups based on traits, which can lead to Speciation (new species).
Why are Hox genes considered strong evidence for evolution?
They are found in many different organisms and have undergone very little change over millions of years.