Biology

Question 1

What did scholars believe about the age of the Earth prior to the 1600s?

Answer 1

The world was believed to be 6,000 years old and unchanging

This belief was prevalent among scholars before the emergence of evolutionary theories.

Question 2

Who was the first to carry out empirical studies and developed a classification system for plants and animals?

Answer 2

Carolus Linnaeus

Linnaeus is known for creating the taxonomy system still used today.

Question 3

What was Comte de Buffon’s contribution to evolutionary theory?

Answer 3

Challenged the idea that lifeforms are unchanging and suggested Earth is older than 6,000 years

He proposed that organisms with similar traits had common ancestors.

Question 4

Who was Mary Anning and what was her significant discovery?

Answer 4

A fossil hunter who found the first fossil of a plesiosaur

Her work contributed significantly to paleontology.

Question 5

What concept is George Cuvier known for?

Answer 5

Paleontology and catastrophism

Cuvier proposed that the Earth’s geology and life were shaped by sudden, short-lived, and catastrophic events.

Question 6

What theory did Charles Lyell reject and what did he advocate instead?

Answer 6

Rejected catastrophism and advocated for uniformitarianism

Uniformitarianism suggests that changes occur slowly, gradually, and continuously.

Question 7

What is Jean-Baptiste Lamarck known for?

Answer 7

Inheritance of acquired characteristics; use and disuse

Lamarck proposed that traits acquired during an organism’s life could be passed on to offspring.

Question 8

What is Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution summarized as?

Answer 8

Descent with modification through natural selection

Darwin’s theory emphasizes survival of the fittest as a key mechanism of evolution.

Question 9

What are the five evidences of evolution?

Answer 9

Fossils, biogeography, anatomy, embryology, evidence from DNA

Each of these provides insights into the evolutionary process.

Question 10

What do fossils provide evidence for in evolution?

Answer 10

Fossil record, stratums, transitional fossils, vestigial structures, Archaeopteryx

These elements help trace the history of life and evolutionary changes.

Question 11

What is the difference between homologous structures and analogous structures?

Answer 11

Homologous structures have a common ancestry, while analogous structures do not

Recognizing examples of each can illustrate evolutionary relationships.

Question 12

What does embryology provide evidence for in evolutionary theory?

Answer 12

Similarities in early development stages among different species

This suggests common ancestry among diverse organisms.

Question 13

How does DNA evidence support evolutionary relationships?

Answer 13

Fewer differences in amino acid sequences indicate closer relationships

Common ancestors can be inferred from genetic similarities.

Question 14

Fill in the blank: Charles Darwin’s theory emphasizes _______.

Answer 14

natural selection

This process is vital for understanding how species evolve over time.

Question 15

True or False: Comte de Buffon believed that all life forms are unchanging.

Answer 15

False

Buffon was one of the first to challenge the notion of unchanging life forms.

Question 16

Fill in the blank: The first fossil of a _______ was discovered by Mary Anning.

Answer 16

plesiosaur

This discovery was crucial in the field of paleontology.

Question 17

What is the difference between homologous structures and analogous structures?

Answer 17

Homologous structures have similar structure and origin but different function, while analogous structures have different evolutionary origin but perform similar functions.

Question 18

What are transitional fossils? Give an example.

Answer 18

Transitional fossils are fossils that show the intermediate states between an ancestral form and its descendants.

Example: Archeopteryx

Question 19

What are the 5 factors that cause evolutionary change?

Answer 19

The 5 factors are mutation, gene flow (migration), non-random mating, genetic drift, and natural selection.

Question 20

What is genetic drift?

Answer 20

Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies in a population.

Question 21

What are the two situations that can lead to significant genetic drift?

Answer 21

The two situations are the Founder Effect and the Bottleneck Effect.

Question 22

What are the 4 types of natural selection?

Answer 22

The 4 types are stabilizing selection, directional selection, disruptive selection, and sexual selection.

Question 23

What are the two reproductive isolation mechanisms/barriers?

Answer 23

The two mechanisms are Pre-Zygotic (prevention of mating and fertilization) and Post-Zygotic (prevention of hybrids).

Question 24

What are the types of pre-zygotic barriers?

Answer 24

Pre-zygotic barriers include behavioral, temporal, ecological/habitat isolation, mechanical isolation, and gametic isolation.

Question 25

What are the types of post-zygotic barriers?

Answer 25

Post-zygotic barriers include hybrid inviability, hybrid sterility, and hybrid breakdown.

Question 26

What are the two types of speciation?

Answer 26

The two types of speciation are sympatric speciation and allopatric speciation.

Question 27

What is adaptive radiation?

Answer 27

Adaptive radiation is the process by which organisms diversify rapidly into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments.

Question 28

What is the difference between divergent and convergent evolution?

Answer 28

Divergent evolution occurs when two or more related species become more dissimilar, while convergent evolution occurs when unrelated species develop similar traits.

Question 29

What is the difference between gradualism and punctuated equilibrium?

Answer 29

Gradualism is the theory that evolution occurs slowly and steadily, while punctuated equilibrium suggests that evolution occurs in rapid bursts followed by long periods of stability.