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Bio
Evolution
152
Biology
Undergraduate 1
01/23/2013

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Term
True or false: The origin of life on Earth is known.
Definition
False: the origin of life on Earth is unknown.
Term
What are some possibilities for the origin of life on Earth?
Definition
- Creation through supernatural means.
- Organisms and/or organic material coming from meteorites.
- Amino acids arose from lightning in primitive atmosphere
- Deep sea thermal vents.
- Within ice.
Term
Why is creation through supernatural means not considered a possibility for the origin of Earth for science?
Definition
It is not testable and falsifiable, and is therefore outside the bounds of science.
Term
What is the proof for the proposal that life came from meteorites crashing to Earth?
Definition
Sample meteorites have been found to contain organic molecules.
Term
What organic molecules were found in meteorites that had crashed on Earth long ago?
Definition
Amino acids, carboxylic acids and sugars.
Term
What proof is there that amino acids rising from lightning in the primitive atmosphere caused life on Earth?
Definition
The Miller-Urey experiment.
Term
What is the Miller-Urey experiment?
Definition
Where scientists created the primitive atmospheric conditions believed to exist long ago and added lightning to provide the energy to synthesize organic molecules from the inorganic molecules in the oceans.
Term
What is the proof that deep sea thermal vents caused life on Earth?
Definition
It has the conditions necessary to synthesize organic molecules.
Term
True or false: the only thing needed to produce life is organic molecules.
Definition
False: there are additional steps to produce life.
Term
What are the steps beyond the formation of organic molecules for the origin of life?
Definition
- Lipids form protocells
- RNA as the first genetic material.
Term
What do lipids form in the process of creating life?
Definition
Protocells.
Term
Protocells
Definition
Packaged organic molecules with membranes.
Term
What is so important about the development of protocells?
Definition
They create a more consistent internal environment.
Term
What was likely the first genetic material?
Definition
RNA
Term
What can RNA form?
Definition
Ribozymes.
Term
Rybozymes
Definition
RNA that can catalyze reactions.
Term
What are the two features that were necessary for life to develop?
Definition
Metabolism and replication
Term
What created the first diverse life forms?
Definition
After the development of replication and metabolism, countless failures and a few successes over hundreds of millions of years.
Term
Evolution
Definition
Genetic change in a population or a species over time.
Term
True or false: individuals can go through evolution.
Definition
False: evolution happens at the level of the population or species, not the individual.
Term
Population
Definition
Members of a species interacting and interbreeding in a common environment.
Term
What is the evidence for evolution?
Definition
DNA
Homologous structures
Biogeography
Vestigial Structures
Vertebrate Embryology
Fossil Records
Term
Where are fossils usually found?
Definition
Sedimentary rocks.
Term
How does age relate to depth in sentimentary rock?
Definition
Younger fossils are in the upper strata, older fossils are in the deeper strata.
Term
How does sediment become laid on top of fossils?
Definition
Erosion of sedimentary rock.
Term
How are fossils preserved?
Definition
Lack of exposure to oxygen, heat and moisture.
Term
How is the age of fossils estimated?
Definition
Fossil aging by radioactive isotopes.
Term
What isotopes are used in carbon dating?
Definition
Carbon-14 and Uranium-238.
Term
What is the half life of Carbon-14?
Definition
5,730 years
Term
What is the half life of Uranium-238?
Definition
4.5 billion years.
Term
How does fossil aging work?
Definition
The decay of radioactive isotopes can be used to estimate the age.
Term
What happens after one half life?
Definition
There is half as much of the radioactive isotope than before.
Term
In what unit are radioactive isotopes expressed in?
Definition
Parts per trillion (ppt)
Term
How long would it take for something with 2 ppt Carbon-14 to get down to 1/2 ppt?
Definition
11,460 years
Term
Biogeography
Definition
How the patterns of fossils are consistent with the shape of Pangea.
Term
How long ago was Pangea in existence?
Definition
~225 million years ago.
Term
Homologous Structures
Definition
Common ancestry despite functional differences
Term
What is an example of homologous structures?
Definition
Vertebrate forelimbs.
Term
Vestigial Structures
Definition
Remnants of function structures of ancestors that no longer have a function.
Term
Vertebrate Embryology
Definition
Fetuses among vertebrates look almost indistinguishable among one another.
Term
What are the variables contributing to evolution?
Definition
- Human influences
- Chance
- Natural Selection
- Changing environment
- Mutations
- Pesticides, antibiotics, etc.
Term
Natural Selection
Definition
The process by which individuals that have helpful inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce more than others.
Term
What did Charles Darwin write?
Definition
The Origin of Species.
Term
What two things did Darwin observe?
Definition
1. Populations often have variations in inherited traits.
2. Species can produce more offspring than the environment can support.
Term
Competition
Definition
A race for limited resources.
Term
Adaptations
Definition
Inherited traits that aid in survival and reproduction.
Term
What was a key component of Darwin's proof for evolution?
Definition
"Darwin's finches" on Galapagos islands.
Term
What about Galapagos Islands supported the theory of evolution?
Definition
The shapes of the beaks of the birds for each area were consistent with what would be optimal to reach food in that area.
Term
Mutations
Definition
Permanent changes in DNA.
Term
What are the human influences that contribute to evolution?
Definition
Artificial selection, domestication and environment.
Term
Correct or declare the sentence correct: evolution happens intentionally and because of need/want.
Definition
Evolution is not intentional and not because of need/want.
Term
Correct or declare the sentence correct: traits are selected, not created.
Definition
Correct.
Term
Date: origin of Earth
Definition
~4.6 billion years ago
Term
Date: life on Earth
Definition
~4.0 billion years ago
Term
Date: oldest prokaryote fossil
Definition
~3.5 billion years ago
Term
Prokaryote
Definition
Cells without internal membranes
Term
Date: oldest eukaryotic fossil
Definition
~2.2 bya
Term
Eukaryote
Definition
Cells with internal membranes and organelles
Term
Date: dinosaurs extinct
Definition
~65 mya
Term
Date: major radiation of mammals
Definition
~50 mya
Term
Why did the major radiation of mammals happen shortly after the extinction of dinosaurs
Definition
Their primary competitors died.
Term
Date: origin of the Homo genus
Definition
~2 mya
Term
Date: first Homo sapeins
Definition
~100-200 kya
Term
Phylogenetic tree
Definition
A diagram that shows the relationship among taxa.
Term
Which taxa are most closely related on a phylogenetic tree?
Definition
Taxa with the most recent common ancestor are the most closely related.
Term
If a phylogenetic tree's parts were flipped at the nodes, would the relationships still be the same?
Definition
Yes.
Term
Convergent Evolution
Definition
Separate lines of ancestry leading to similar feautures.
Term
What is an example of convergent evolution?
Definition
Wings of bats, birds, insects.
Term
Analogous
Definition
Similar
Term
Where is the term "analogous" used?
Definition
To describe traits from convergent evolution.
Term
Correct or declare correct: traits across species from convergent evolution cannot have different functions.
Definition
False: traits across species from convergent evolution can have different functions.
Term
What is an example of two traits formed through convergent evolution?
Definition
Bat wings and human arms.
Term
How many mass extinctions are there in Earth's history?
Definition
Five.
Term
What are the leading hypotheses for mass extinctions?
Definition
Environmental changes and habitat loss.
Term
What could be the cause of habitat loss?
Definition
Major volcanic eruptions and impacts of asteroids or comets.
Term
Major volcanic eruptions and impacts of comets or asteroids are causes of ____________ which leads to ______________
Definition
habitat loss, mass extinction
Term
Gene Pool
Definition
All of the alleles for each gene present in a population.
Term
Microevolution
Definition
Changes in allele frequency at the level of the population.
Term
Genetic Drift
Definition
Chance events altering allele frequency
Term
What does genetic drift include?
Definition
Founder and bottleneck effect.
Term
Founder effect
Definition
Few individuals start a new population with different allele frequency than original population
Term
Bottleneck effect
Definition
Change in population's allele frequency after sudden reduction in population size.
Term
Gene Flow
Definition
Transfer of alleles between populations
Term
What are the two means though which gene flow can occur?
Definition
Emigration and immigration
Term
Emigration
Definition
Individuals (gametes) leaving a population
Term
Immigration
Definition
Individuals (gametes) entering a population
Term
Hardy-Weinberg Principle
Definition
The idea that frequencies of alleles and genotypes in a population will remain constant (equilibrium) with the absence of five drivers of microevolution.
Term
The five drivers of microevolution causes what to fall out?
Definition
The frequency of alleles and genotypes in a population to fall out of equilibrium.
Term
The five drivers of microevolution
Definition
- Mutations
- Mating preferences
- Natural selection events
- Genetic drift
- Gene flow
Term
What is the consequence of mutations?
Definition
New alleles formed.
Term
What is the consequence of mating preferences?
Definition
Non-random mating.
Term
What is the consequence of natural selection events?
Definition
Alters survival/reproductive success
Term
What is the consequence of genetic drift?
Definition
A reduction in the population size
Term
What is the consequence of gene flow?
Definition
Alleles going into or out of the population.
Term
Natural selection events can be:
Definition
- Directional
- Disruptive
- Stabilizing
Term
Directional
Definition
Favors one extreme.
Term
Disruptive
Definition
Both extremes favored over intermediate
Term
Stabilizing
Definition
Intermediate favored over extreme.
Term
Macroevolution is synonymous with...
Definition
Speciation
Term
Speciation
Definition
One species splitting into two or more species.
Term
What are the different ways species can be defined?
Definition
- Biological Species Concept
- Morphological Species Concept
- Ecological Species Concept
- Phylogenetic Species Concept
Term
Biological Species Concept
Definition
Populations that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Term
Morphological Species Concept
Definition
Based on structural similarity
Term
Ecological Species Concept
Definition
Based on Ecoloical Niche
Term
Ecological Niche
Definition
Organism interaction with living and non-living members of the environment.
Term
Phylogenetic Species Concept
Definition
Based on most recent common ancestry using morphology and genetics.
Term
What is the challenge to Biological Species Concept?
Definition
Asexual species.
Term
What is the challenge to Morphological Species Concept?
Definition
Subjective cut-off: How structurally different do you have to be to be a different species?
Term
What is the challenge to Ecological Species Concept?
Definition
Distinguishing between behavior and relatedness.
Term
How do populations remain connected?
Definition
Gene flow
Term
What occurs without gene flow?
Definition
Macroevoltuion/speciation
Term
What is the challenge to Phylogenetic Species Concept?
Definition
Subjective cut-off.
Term
What are the ingredient of Speciation?
Definition
Reproduction isolation + time
Term
Do reproductive isolation and time necessarily lead to speciation?
Definition
No, but it can.
Term
What are the two kinds of reproductive barriers?
Definition
Prezygotic and postzygotic
Term
Prezygotic
Definition
Before fertilization
Term
Postzygotic
Definition
After fertilization
Term
What is an example of a prezygotic reproductive barrier?
Definition
The species mate at different times of the day or year.
Term
What is an example of a postzygotic reproductive barrier?
Definition
The offspring is sterile.
Term
Allopatric Speciation
Definition
Gene flow is stopped by the physical separation of populations.
Term
Sympatric Speciation
Definition
Reproductive barriers arise while in the same location.
Term
What does allopatric speciation mean?
Definition
"Other homeland"
Term
What does sympatric speciation mean?
Definition
"Same homeland"
Term
What could case Sympatric speciation?
Definition
- Polyploidy in plants
- Using different habitats
- Mate selection
Term
True or false: Speciation is not a process.
Definition
False: speciation is a process.
Term
What can speciation form in the process?
Definition
Hybrids
Term
What can hybrids do?
Definition
- Form into new species
- Enable fusion of separated populations
- Continue to reproduce
Term
What are the different kinds of timelines of speciation?
Definition
Punctuated equilibria or gradual change.
Term
Punctuated Equilibria
Definition
Relatively quickly development of new species with long periods of stability.
Term
Taxonomy
Definition
The science of naming and classifying organisms
Term
Taxonomic Catgeories in order from biggest to smallest:
Definition
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Term
Domain of humans
Definition
Eukarya
Term
Kingdom of humans
Definition
Animalia
Term
Phylum of humans
Definition
Chordata
Term
Class of humans
Definition
Mammalia
Term
Order of humans
Definition
Primata
Term
Family of humans
Definition
Hominidae
Term
Genus of humans
Definition
Homo
Term
Species of humans
Definition
Homo Sapiens
Term
How should bionomial nomenclature be written?
Definition
"Genus species" in italics.
Term
Phylogeny
Definition
Evolutionary history of a species.
Term
What is the diagram of phylogeny?
Definition
The phylogenetic tree.
Term
Correct phylogeny requires distinguishing between:
Definition
Homologous and Analogous
Term
Homology
Definition
Similar phenotype due to common ancestry
Term
Analogous features come from ___________ ________________ and produces feature that _______ __________ ______________.
Definition
Analogous features come from convergent evolution and produces features have similar phenotypes.
Term
What is an example of analogous features formed from convergent evolution that must be distinguished from homology?
Definition
The legless lizard.
Term
Phylogeny is determined through:
Definition
- Morphology
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Genetics
Term
Morphology
Definition
External appearance.
Term
Anatomy
Definition
Internal structures.
Term
Physiology
Definition
Physical and chemical functioning
Term
Genetics
Definition
Nucleotide sequences.
Term
Taxonomy is ____________ ______________ and changes with ______ _________________ and ____________ _____________.
Definition
Taxonomy is somewhat subjective ad changes with new findings and different interpretations.
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