Evo2 Flashcards
(9 cards)
What is a scientific theory?
An explanation of observations that allows for predictions and experimentation.
Who was Jean Baptiste Lamarck?
A French scientist who proposed the inheritance of acquired characteristics.
What was Lamarck’s theory?
Organisms change during their lifetime and pass those changes to offspring.
Why was Lamarck’s theory wrong?
There was no evidence for inheritance of acquired traits — e.g., mice with cut tails still had tailed offspring.
Who developed the theory of natural selection?
Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.
What did Darwin observe on his voyage?
Fossils and variation in species, especially finch beaks in the Galápagos.
What is the basis of natural selection?
Variation, competition, overproduction, and differential survival.
What is evolution by natural selection?
Favourable traits become more common in a population over generations.
What phrase describes Darwin’s idea?
“Survival of the fittest”
