Theories
what is evolution?
change over time
Who is George Cuvier
Pioneer in paleontology (fossils) catastrophism
what was Cuvier's influence?
Cuvier discovered that deeper and older strata contain fossils that are increasingly different from living species. He noted that the older the stratum, the more dissimilar its fossils were to current life forms. He also discovered many “sudden changes” in the kinds of fossils found in one stratum compared to the next stratum.
What is a fossil and describe fossil records.
The record held within the strata of the history of life on earth
The remains or traces of an organism that died long ago
What does LUCA stand for and what was it?
Last Universal Common Ancestor
A single celled organism
Who is Charles Darwin?
The father of the theory of evolution
Who is James Hutton?
Father of geology
How did James Hutton influence Charles Darwin?
Hutton’s hypothesis included the following ideas: Layers of rock form very slowly. Some rocks are moved up by forces beneath Earth’s surface to form mountains. Mountains and valleys are shaped by natural forces such as rain, wind, and fluctuating temperatures. These processes occur slowly over millions of years.
Describe biogeography.
The geographic distribution of organisms across the earth
What are 2 examples of evolution in progress?
Peppered moths and insecticide resistant insects
Describe descent with modification.
Hypothesized that all organisms descended from a common ancestor that lived in the remote past and that species were able to change over time.
Who is Charles Lyell
Developed the principle of uniformitarianism
what was Lyell's influence?
The mechanisms of change are uniform over time. The same geologic forces that were active in the past are still operating today.
Describe homologous structures.
Looking the same between species that have a common ancestor but having a different job
What is adaptive radiation?
The sudden appearance of many new species when organisms move into unoccupied habitats and niches.
Describe selective breeding.
A method of breeding that allows only the individuals within an organisms with desired characteristics to produce the next generation
Who is Jean Baptiste Lamarck
The first scientist to say “living organisms have changed over time”
what was Lamarck's influence?
Theory of Acquired Characteristics: Individuals acquire traits during their lifetime as a result of their experience or behavior, and then pass these traits to their offspring.
Describe embryology.
The study of embryos and their development
What is convergent, divergent, and coevolution?
The process by which different species evolve similar traits. Closely related organisms
share characteristics because of common descent.
closely related species become more and more dissimilar.
The process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other.
What is evolutionary theory?
The collection of scientific facts, observations and hypotheses that attempt to explain the diversity of life on earth
Who is Thomas Malthus?
if the human population continued to grow at such a rapid rate, eventually there would not be enough space or food to support the population.
what was Malthus's influence?
Darwin realized that a plant produced thousands of seeds, but only a small number would germinate and grow into new plants. Off those seeds that did germinate, only a small number of them would be successful in their own reproduction
Describe the study of biological molecules.
Scientist who observe similarities among organisms at the molecular level
What is punctuated equilibrium?
Term used to describe a pattern of long, stable periods interrupted by brief periods of more rapid change.