Ch 1-5 Exam 1 Flashcards
(109 cards)
1
Q
Can Theories be proved?
A
No, they can only be disproven.
2
Q
Info appearing to be based on sound scientific principles but actually isn’t.
Puts together info to try to push a bigger untested idea.
A
Pseudoscience.
2
Q
A governing set of principles that address a certain observable phenomenon and is based on careful and rational examination of all the available data.
A
Scientific Theory.
2
Q
When two variables appear to be correlated but in reality are not.
A
Spurious correlation.
3
Q
Descent with modification/ Change in allele frequencies over time.
A
Evolution.
4
Q
What are two processes responsible for evolutionary change?
A
Chance and natural selection.
5
Q
3 Processes of evolution?
A
- Genes mutate.
- Individuals are selected.
- Populations Evolve.
6
Q
Obligate intracellular parasite?
A
Virus.
7
Q
Shared derived/ novel character.
A
Synapomorphy.
Recently evolved character that links the related species together.
Hair on mammals is a synapomorphy.
The Derived Trait itself is called an apomorphy.
8
Q
Shared ancestral character
A
Symplesiomorphy. When looking at dogs and cats, hair would be a symplesiomorphy- Shared ancestral trait- doesn’t really differentiate dogs and cats very well from anything else like other mammals.
The trait itself is called a plesiomorphy.
9
Q
Trait that arose in the most recent common ancestor in a particular lineage and was passed on to descendants.
A
Derived Trait/ Character.
10
Q
What do the horizontal branches of a phylogeny tree represent?
A
Amount of evolution along a branch
11
Q
What do the Vertical branches of a phylogeny tree represent?
A
Just for spacing.
12
Q
Severity or harmfulness of a disease.
A
Virulence.
Higher virulence will have a poorer prognosis.
13
Q
If transmission of a virus is high how does this affect selection factors for virulence, why?
A
if transmission is high, high virulence will likely be selected for since it will spread fast, so before the host dies.
14
Q
If transmission of a virus is low how does this affect selection factors for virulence, why?
A
Low transmission rates will select for lower virulence. This is because viruses that have high virulence in low transmission are likely to kill the host before being able to infect more hosts.
15
Q
AZT affects the way HIV is produced by tasking advantage of the error prone reverse transcriptase and subbing in a different base pairing stopping the production of HIV virus. Why is this only a temp fix?
A
Since Reverse transcriptase is so error prone it will eventually produce mutant forms of HIV that are able to be produced in the presence of AZT, these mutants will infect more cells, while the ones that can’t are effectively eliminated.
16
Q
Pandemic Vs. Epidemic?
A
Pandemic: Multiple locations/ global
Epidemic: One geographic area.
17
Q
Ideation where species do not change, or split. each species is separately and independently created, no extinction.
A
Special Creation.
Also assumes earth is young
6k-10k years old.
18
Q
Ideation for species adaptation/ changing over time, divergence, common ancestry, old earth. Extinction of ancestor species.
A
Descent with modification; Evolution.
Earth age: ~4.5 billion years.
19
Q
Evolution of whole taxonomic groups over long periods of time.
A
Macroevolution.
Major Evolutionary change.
20
Q
Evolutionary change within a species/ small population/ group over shorter periods of time.
A
Microevolution.
21
Q
Discoveries of Charles Darwin?
A
Mechanism of evolution: Natural selection.
22
Q
What did Darwin tie together about evolution?
A
Evolution ideas already existed at the time as patterns, Darwin tied the process of natural selection to the patterns of evolution.
23
Species not going extinct and being perfectly matched to their environment is which ideation?
Special Creation.
24
What did Hutton introduce?
The Idea of geologic change: inner molten earth core and tectonic plate rough ideas.
25
What were Lamarcks ideas?
Lamarck proposed evolution processes (Pre-Darwin) Laws.
1: Through use and disuse an organ can change
2: All changes are heritable.
Lamarck was incorrect regarding this mostly- closest comparison is epigenetics.
26
How does selective breeding provide evidence for evolution?
Shows that species are not immutable.
27
How do vestigial structures provide evidence for evolution?
These are structures that have lost their function in the newer organism and had some function in an ancestor.
28
Similarity due to common ancestry
Homology
29
Humans, whales and bats all have very similar bone structure in the upper appendages, what is this an example of?
Homologous structures due to common ancestry.
30
What are things that show common ancestry?
Homologous structures.
31
What is convergent evolution?
When organisms develop similar traits but not due to a common ancestor. EX: Bird and Bat wings- flight- but not similarly detailed structures. Does not show common ancestry.
32
What does convergent evolution produce?
Analogous structures
EX: Bird and Bat wings- flight- but not similarly detailed structures. Does not show common ancestry.
33
What is this an example of when comparing the shape of the dolphin to the shark?
Convergent evolution- producing analogous structures- similar body shapes- in dolphins in sharks. This is due to their environment, not ancestry.
34
What produces homologous structures?
Divergent evolution.
35
Name 3 functional genes:
Introns, Exons, and Promoters.
RNA Polymerase & Transcription factors will bind to the DNA promoter upstream of the gene to begin transcription. introns and exons are transcribed into Pre-mRNA, the introns are then spliced out, etc then it is mature mRNA.
36
mRNA that has been processed and gets reverse transcripted back into the genome?
Why does it become non-functional?
Processed pseudogene. Since it is processed it will not have introns or promoters, so the gene will not be expressed.
37
How did Special Creationists explain extinction once it become known as fact?
Creationists would state extinction was caused by some biblical flood.
38
Extinct species are ancestors of living species, law?
Law of Succession.
Expected for descent with modification.
39
Species that shown a blend of traits at intermediate stages of evolution.
Transitional forms, think Archaeopteryx fossil -transitional form between dinosaurs and birds.
40
What is evidence for all life having a common ancestor?
With few exceptions we use the same nucleotide patterns for to code for the same amino acids.
41
How did creationist explain geology?
Catastrophism same thing to explain extinction.
42
The idea that the same natural laws and processes that affect the earth today are the same processes that affected the earth millions of years ago since the beginning.
Principle of Uniformitarianism.
Think of things like geological processes,
43
Who founded Uniformitarianism?
Hutton
44
Who contributed to birth of modern geology?
Lyell
45
Who proposed continental drift?
Wegener.
46
What is Marie Tharp responsible for?
Mapping North Atlantic sea floor, without being able to be at sea.
Validated the theory of plate tectonics and sea floor spreading.
47
What is Marie curie responsible for?
Discovery of radioactivity and foundation for radiometric dating.
48
What are two properties of unstable isotopes used in radiometric dating?
- Decay at a constant rate (lose protons.)
- Not affected by temp pressure or moisture.
Longer half lives better for older aged things.
49
3 pieces of evidence that contradict independent creation:
- Fossil records + living transitional forms
- Homologous structures
- Observations of speciation in real time.
50
3 pieces of evidence that contradict immutable creation:
- Fossil record shown change over time.
- Fossil records shown extinction.
- Artificial selection (literally used to change species over time.)
51
3 pieces of evidence that contradict Young Earth creation:
- Radiometric Dating
- Plate tectonics
- Fossil records.
52
Are scientists frequently wrong? Why?
Yes! This is because there are many hypothesis and science is constantly evolving and newer technologies allow us to further prove/ disprove theories and ideas.
53
What are Darwins 4 Postulates?
- Individual species are variable.
- Some variation is passed to offspring
- More young are born than can survive
- Survival and reproduction are non-random.
54
What does natural selection act on?
Individuals & Phenotypes.
55
What does evolution act on?
Populations over time & allele frequencies over time.
56
Deep beaked finches survive a drought. if having deep beaks is a non-heritable trait but the other 3 postulates are still true what is expected to occur?
The narrow beaked finches will still be expected to die in the drought but afterwards since the trait is non-heritable the ratios between deep and narrow beaks should return to pre-drought variations quickly.
Natural selection would not be acting on this trait.
57
Why is Natural selection considered backwards looking and not forwards looking?
Because natural selection cannot predict to evolve for the future. The situation will occur first and what doesn't work will die off in the past.
58
Certain Birds have specific mating rituals where the females are most attracted to males with longer tail feathers, however the longer tail feathers cause the males to be less "fit" What is this an example of?
Natural selection, the selective factor of the females can eventually lead to a population with longer tail feathers even if it is not helpful to survival.
59
In finches, deep and narrow beaks are best at breaking open seeds. The population is primarily composed of deep wide beaks, why might this be?
The traits for deepness and width may be linked therefore not allowing natural selection to create the "perfect" beak. Genes not available.
60
When a biological function takes novel advantage of another function.
Exaptation.
61
Feathers originally evolved in dinosaurs as a form of insulation, later they were adapted for flight in birds. What is this an example of and what is the process behind it?
- Adaptation for insulation.
- Exaptation for flight.
- Natural Selection Processes.
62
How do organisms act according to natural selection?
They are not altruistic, and only self sacrifice for selfish gain EX: Relatedness or reciprocity.
63
What were the 3 problems with Darwins Ideas?
1. Didn't know how variability was created. (Now know mutation)
2. Didn't know how traits were inherited (now know mendelian)
3. Incorrect Earth Age, not old enough for evolution (fixed with radiometric)
64
Two propositions of the modern Synthesis.
- Gradual evolution results from small genetic changes acted upon by natural selection.
- The Origin of species and macroevolution can be explained by natural selection acting on individuals/ Microevolution.
65
What is the only means of adaptive evolution?
Natural Selection.
66
How has creationism adapted in branding to stay relevant?
Now called intelligent design and tries to compare "organs of prefection" to man made things to prove an intelligent being made the organ or organism.
EX: You know a watch is made by a person because it is complex, why not think the same for a vertebrate eye?
(We can see how eyes have evolved from ancestral intermediate/ rudimentary eyes.)
67
Process of acquiring understanding of natural phenomena
SCIENCE!!
68
What is the most important thing about a hypothesis?
Must be testable.
69
Mature connected Body or statements based on reasoning and evidence that explains a wide variety of observations
Scientific Theory.
70
Why doesn't the law of Entropy "Energy law of thermodynamics." apply to evolution?
Earth is not a closed system, sun is an outside energy source being put in constantly.
71
Classifying organisms into groups.
Taxonomy.
There is no "true" classification, change with new data and opinions of biologists.
72
Reconstructing evolutionary relationships and history of a species.
(Hypothesis.)
Phylogeny.
73
Taxons from largest to smallest:
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Do Kings Play Chess On Foreign Garden Soil?
74
What did Carolus Linneaus Contribute?
What was the flaw?
Binomial nomenclature system classifications.
Classified only based on similarities, did not include evolutionary relationships.
75
What makes correcting taxa based on phylogeny difficult?
Convergence..
Similar traits not due to a common ancestor.
76
Graphical summary of Evolutionary Hx.
Phylogenetic tree.
An estimate
Represents best hypothesis based on current data.
77
Parsimony
= KISS method (Keep it Simple Stupid.)
Most simple explanation is probably true.
78
Traits that are similar in anatomy or physiology because they are derived from a common ancestor.
Homology, homologous traits.
79
Birds and lizards are closely related. What is an example of a synapomorphy of birds?
Feathers, no lizards have feathers.
Feathers therefore let us know the organism is likely related or is a bird.
80
Birds and lizards are closely related. What is an example of a Symplesiomorphy between these?
Birds are vertebrates.
(lizards are also vertebrates so this does not help us in any way to determine phylogenetic relationships.)
81
What helps decide where branches should be on a phylogenetic tree?
Synapomorphies, shared by two or more groups and useful in determining phylogeny.
82
A pig nosed turtle is the only freshwater turtle that has flippers (similar to sea turtles) instead of the usual webbed feet. They are more closely related to other fresh water turtles than sea turtles. Assuming their flippers are an independently derived trait what is this an example of?
Autapomorphy, not useful in estimating relatedness since it is so unique.
83
What are homoplasies?
Similar structure derived or lost independent of ancestry.
Commonly produce analogous structures.
84
What does convergent evolution produce?
Homoplasies/ Analogous structures.
85
Penguins are thought to have evolved from flying seabirds over 60 million years ago and do not have a common ancestor with other flightless birds what is this an example of when the penguin is compared to earliest dinosaur ancestors that were flightless.
Homoplasy, specifically a reversal homoplasy.
86
How do parsimonious trees try to give best estimate of phylogeny?
By minimizing Homoplasy.
Synapomorphies ( shared derived characters.) are more common than convergence & reversal
87
What are 4 assumptions regarding phylogenetic analysis?
1. Homology (Common Ancestor)
2. Character states have genetic basis (characteristics are genetic.)
3. Characters are independent. (Mutates independently.)
4. Character evolution reflects organismal phylogeny
(Evolutionary changes that are distinct from other organisms.)
88
Characters (Traits) scored in different Taxa must be ________________
Homologous.
89
3 principles of cladistics:
1. Any group of organisms is related by descent from a common ancestor.
2. Bifurcating pattern
3. Change in characteristics in lineages over time.
90
A common ancestor and ALL descendants on an evolutionary Tree.
Monophyletic Group.
91
4 Things about organizing using Cladistic methods to build a tree?
1. Identifies monophyletic groups based on synapomorphies.
2. Synapomorphies define branch points.
3. Must be able to identify homology of traits and direction of change through time.
4. Commonly uses "Out group" method.
92
A closely related taxon used to represent the ancestor of a group
The out-group, used to differ from ancestral and derived characters.
93
What is a clade?
Monophyletic Group.
94
Tree made using Synapomorphies
Cladogram.
95
Rectangular Tree with informative branch lengths name?
Phylogram.
96
When more than two lineages arise from a single ancestral lineage/ Node?
Polytomy
This also shows an uncertainty in the evolution of that branch.
97
Group of any size the includes the common ancestor but not all of the descendants.
Paraphyletic Group.
98
Organisms group together despite not being closely related.
Polyphyletic Group.
99
What is the root of a phylogenetic tree?
The Common Ancestor.
100
What is the node of a phylogenetic tree?
A divergence point where one species became two.
101
Two branches of a phylogenetic tree directly next to each other?
Sister Taxa.
102
What are two ways used to help assess and resolve uncertainties in evolutionary trees?
Parsimony & Out-group Analysis.
103
What is an out-group?
A distant relative to the main tree (In-Group) and used to compare and contrast evolutionary relationships.
104
What is it called when a derived trait reverts back to the ancestral form?
Reversal.
Could also be a reversal homoplasy if it reappears later in the tree.
105
An Evolutionary tree shows derived trait of Wings in stick bugs but then the trait is lost and shows up again later in the tree. At first this caused the most recent species to seem closer related to the ancestor at the root of the tree. What is this an example of?
Reversal Homoplasy.
This usually occurs due to a changing environment that has changed back- making the trait beneficial again.
106
A method of determining reliability in the branches of an evolutionary tree. This is done by taking random samples of the data and using statistical analysis to create more possible trees, the more often certain branches appear the more reliable that point is.
Boot strapping.
107
