Zoology, Evolution, Scientific Method Flashcards
Biology
Study of life and living organisms.
Zoology
Study of animals
Evolution
Change of characteristics of a population over successive generations.
Microevolution
Evolutionary changes in allelic frequencies
Macroevolution
Origins of new structures, trends, mass extinction, adaptive radiation, etc.
Natural Selection and how it causes evolution
Advantageous traits to survival and reproducibility are passed down from parents who survive to offspring. These traits stay in the gene pool and carry on into future generations. These traits build with gradual change over time until eventually new species are formed.
Phylogeny
Tree that contains the entire branching history of life.
Explain the Scientific Method
Making an educated guess and seeking empirical data to potentially disprove it.
1.Observation 2.Question 3.Hypothesis Formation 4.Empirical Test 5.Conclusions 6.Publication
Difference between Hypothesis, Theory, and Law
Hypothesis: Potential answer to question being asked. Based on prior observations of nature. Not supported by large body of evidence.
Theory: Broader in scope than hypothesis. General, can lead to new hypotheses. Supported by large body of evidence. Explanation of a phenomena.
Law: Description of an observed phenomena.
Biological Species
No commonly agreed on definition.
- Members from common ancestral population
- Interbreeding occurs within species, and not outside of species
- Genotype and Phenotype within species is similar
Speciation
Formation of new species over course of evolution
Fossil
Preserved remains or imprints of organism.
Homology
Different species have same organ for different purposes.
Adaptive Radiation
Evolution of several ecologically diverse species from common ancestor
Mass Extinction
Period were huge number of taxa go extinct. 5 major since beginning of Earth.
