Chapter 16.4 Flashcards
Biogeography
study of where organisms live now and where they and their ancestors lived in the past.
How does the geographic distribution of species today relate to their evolutionary history?
Patterns in the distribution of living and fossil species tell us how modern organisms evolved from their ancestors
How do fossils help to document the descent of modern species from ancient ancestors?
Many recenty discovered fossils form series that trace the evolution of modern species from extinct ancestors
What do homologous structures and similarities in embryonic development suggest about the process of evolutionary change?
Homologous Structures = structures that are shared by related species and have been inherited from a common ancestor.
These adapted to different purposes as the result of descent with modification from a common ancestor.
Similar patterns in embryonic development provide further evidence that organisms have descended from a common ancestor.
How can molecular biology be used to trace the process of evolution?
At the molecular level, the universal genetic code and homologous molecules provide evidence of common descent.
What does recent research on the Galapagos Island finches show about natural selection?
The Grants have documented that natural selection takes place in wild finch populations frequently, sometimes rapidly. Their work shows that variation within a species increases the likelihood of the species’ adapting to and surviving environmental change.
Homologous Structure. Name an example
structures that are shared by related species and that have been inherited by a common ancestor.
Example: forelimb bones
Vestigial Structures. Name an example.
inherited structures that have lost most if not all of their function due to different pressures acting on the descendents.
Example: dolphin hip bones
Analogous Structures. Name an example.
Body parts that share common function, but not structure.
Example: Wing of a bee and a wing of a bird
