Biology Chapter 16 – Flashcards
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What was Charles Darwin's contribution to science?
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He developed a scientific theory of biological evolution that explains how modern organisms evolved over long periods of time through descent from common ancestors
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What three patterns of biodiversity did Darwin note?
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1. different, yet ecologically similar animal species inhabited separated, but ecologically similar, habitats around the globe 2. different, yet related, animal species often occupied different habitats within a local area 3. some fossils of extinct animals were similar to living species
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evolution
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Change over time, process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms
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fossil
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Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms
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What did Hutton and Lyell conclude about Earth's history?
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That Earth is extremely old and that the processes that changed Earth in the past are the same processes that operate in the present
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How did Lamarck propose that species evolve?
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Organisms could change during their lifetimes by selectively using or not using various parts of their bodies. They could also pass these acquired traits on to their offspring.
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What was Malthus's view of population growth?
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If the human population grew unchecked, there wouldn't be enough living space and food for everyone
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How is inherited variation used in artificial selection?
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In artificial selection, nature provides the variations and humans select those they find useful.
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artificial selection
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selective breeding of plants and animals to promote the occurrence of desirable traits in offspring
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Under what conditions does natural selection occur?
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In any situation in which more individuals are born than can survive, there is natural inheritable variation, and there is variable fitness among individuals.
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What does Darwin's mechanism for evolution suggest about living and extinct species?
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According to the principle of common descent, all species -living and extinct- are descended from ancient common ancestors.
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adaptation
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A heritable characteristic that increases an organisms ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment
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fitness
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Ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment
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natural selection
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Process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest
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How does the geographic distribution of species today relate to their evolutionary history?
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Patterns in the distribution of living and fossil species tell us how modern organisms evolved from their ancestors.
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How do fossils help document the descent of modern species from ancient ancestors?
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Many recently discovered fossils form series that trace the evolution of modern species from extinct ancestors.
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What do homologous structures and similarities in embryonic development suggest about the process of evolutionary change?
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Evolutionary theory explains the existence of homologous structures adapted to different purposes as the result of descent with modification from a common ancestor
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How can molecular biology be used to trace the process of evolution?
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The universal genetic code and homologous molecules provide evidence of common descent
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What does recent research on the Galapagos finches show about natural selection?
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That natural selection takes place frequently and sometimes rapidly and that variation within a species increases the likelihood of the species adapting to and surviving environmental change
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biogeography
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Study of past and present distribution of organisms
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homologous structure
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Structures that are similar in different species of common ancestry
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analogous structure
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Body parts that share a common function, but not structure
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vestigial structure
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Inherited from ancestors but have lost much or all of their orginal functions
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Darwin observed that different habitats within a local area contained animal species that were
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different yet closely related
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Darwin drew support for his theory of evolution from the observation that fossils
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of some extinct animals are similar to living species
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During his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Darwin noticed that similar habitats in different parts of the world contained
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different but ecologically similar plants and animals
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Darwin's ideas are relevant today because
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they help us understand how disease organisms change over time they give us clues to Earth's biological past They help us understand relationships between living things and the natural world
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Hutton and Lyell's research suggested that Earth
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changes slowly over long periods of time
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How did Darwin explain his observation of fossils of marine animals found several thousand feet above sea level?
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Geological events caused the ancient sea floor to move to a higher elevation.
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Lamarck proposed that species change due to
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use or disuse of organs
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Darwin realized that Malthus' idea about human population growth applied even more to other organisms, such as why
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oysters produce millions of eggs but only a few survive
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Selective breeding of domesticated organisms by humans to enhance useful traits is known as
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artificial selection
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Camouflage and mimicry are examples of
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adaptation
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Natural selection acts
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only on inherited traits
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Darwin's theory of descent with modification refers to
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the process of species evolving from common ancestors
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Studying biogeography can help scientists
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make connections between where modern species and their ancestors lived
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In vertebrates, groups of embryonic cells developing in the same order and in similar patterns result in
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homologous tissues and organs
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The wing of a bird and the wing of a grasshopper have similar functions, but they evolved independently. This is an example of
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analogous structures
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The DNA in yeasts, grizzly nears, centipedes, and palm trees all share
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the same genetic code
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Within a species, great heritable variation
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increases the likelihood of the species' adapting to and surviving environmental changes
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Who observed variations in the characteristics of plants and animals on different islands of the Galapagos?
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Charles Darwin
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In addition to observing living organisms, Darwin studied the preserved remains of ancient organisms called
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fossils
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What idea proposed by Lamarck was later found to be incorrect?
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Acquired characteristics can be inherited
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What would an animal breeder use to increase the number of cows that give the most milk?
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artificial selection
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An inherited characteristic that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in it's specific environment is called an
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adaptation
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Intermediate fossil forms are important evidence of evolution because they show
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how organisms changed over time
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Lyell's 'Principles of Geology' influenced Darwin because it explained how
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the surface of the Earth changes over time
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What is an important concept of Darwin's 'theory of evolution' by natural selection
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descent with modification
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DNA and RNA provide evidence of evolution because
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in most organisms, the same codons specify the same amino acids
