Evolution

Question 1

Geologists

Answer 1

• study the Earth’s structure.
• date rocks by studying chemical elements in rocks;
• age of fossil from age of rock.

Question 2

Palaeontology

Answer 2

study of plant and animal fossils.

Question 3

Anthropology

Answer 3

study of human cultural development

Question 4

Archaeology

Answer 4

study of human activity in the past by studying remains (artefacts) that have been left behind

Question 5

Fossils

Answer 5

• remains/traces (of hard body parts) of
• organisms that lived millions of years ago
• been preserved into sedimentary rocks

Question 6

Evolution

Answer 6

process of modifying things that already exist. Change over time.

Question 7

Homologous structures

Answer 7

features or characteristics shared by a group of species because they were inherited from the same/common ancestor)

Question 8

Analogous body structures

Answer 8

body structures that do the same job but have a different origin and a slightly different structure, e.g. wings on birds, butterflies and bats

Question 9

Convergent evolution

Answer 9

when organisms

• not closely related
• evolve similar adaptations
• independently to suit a common environment

Question 10

Modification by descent

Answer 10

• related species share characteristics (homologous structures)
• inherited them from a common ancestor

Question 11

Divergent evolution

Answer 11

• evolution of organisms from a common ancestor
• have adapted to changing environments to develop into a new species

Question 12

Vestigial structures

Answer 12

• small, poorly developed structures that have no real use
• inherited from an ancestor

Question 13

Biogeography

Answer 13

the study of distribution of living organisms, past and present

Question 14

Modification within a species

Answer 14

modified descendants of earlier species to adapt to different environments.

Question 15

Natural selection

Answer 15

• organism best suited to the environment survives
• pass the favourable traits on to the next generation.
• May lead to a new species forming

Question 16

macroevolution

Answer 16

Type of evolution resulting in the development of a new species
Refers to major evolutionary changes over time

Question 17

Adaptive radiation

Answer 17

single species diversifying into a variety of different species. organism adapting to a changing environment so that it no longer resembles the parent species

Question 18

Microevolution

Answer 18

Type of evolution resulting in increased variation at species level

Question 19

Species

Answer 19

Group of individuals of common ancestry, closely resembling each other, who can interbreed to produce fertile offspring

Question 20

Embryology

Answer 20

similarities and differences in embryonic development

Question 21

Comparative anatomy

Answer 21

comparison of structures that show a gradual change /modification of structures that have evolved along the same group line

Question 22

Inbreeding

Answer 22

Breeding between closely related individuals
in small gene pools - little gene flow between populations
allele frequency increases/ increased homozygosity
genetic diversity decreases/ hybrid vigour

Question 23

Outbreeding

Answer 23

• interbreeding with other populations
• Formation of stronger, healthier offspring
• adding new alleles to the gene pool
• promotes heterozygosity

Question 24

Sympatric speciation

Answer 24

• speciation
• populations not geographically isolated from each other
• reproductively isolated
• interbreeding can no longer occur

Question 25

Founder effect

Answer 25

- when a few members of a species occupy new territories - isolated from the main population - resulting in a smaller gene pool showing less variation

Question 26

Geographical isolation

Answer 26

- physical barriers - preventing interbreeding - cause speciation

Question 27

Evolution

Answer 27

- cumulative change - long periods of time

Question 28

Speciation

Answer 28

Development of a new species

Question 29

microevolution

Answer 29

Type of evolution resulting - increased variation - at species level

Question 30

Gene pool

Answer 30

- all the alleles of a gene - in a particular population

Question 31

Mutations

Answer 31

The process by which new types of organisms develop from existing organisms over a long period of time

Question 32

Genetic Drift

Answer 32

- Is the random changes - in the (genetic) allele frequency in populations - may lead to speciation

Question 33

Evidence of evolution

Answer 33

Fossil record, Homology, Comparative anatomy; Genetic similarities, comparative embryology ; Biogeographic distribution, Biochemical similarities

Question 34

Punctuated equilibrium

Answer 34

- evolution does not occur gradually - in sudden bursts (big jumps where phenotypic characteristics change rapidly) - after long periods of no change (equilibrium/stasis)

Question 35

Gradualism

Answer 35

model of evolution - slow, gradual change - in phenotypic characteristics

Question 36

Selection pressure

Answer 36

- Factors in the environment - will select/favour certain individuals - based on particular characteristic

Question 37

Artificial Selection

Answer 37

- specific organisms with specific traits/characteristics - for human use - are selected to produce offspring with - desired traits (Artificial inbreeding and outbreeding)

Question 38

Allele frequency

Answer 38

the incidence of a gene variant in a population. Alleles are variant forms of a gene that are located at the same position, or genetic locus, on a chromosome(the number of times a particular gene appears in a population)

Question 39

Bottle neck effect

Answer 39

- sharp reduction in the size of a population - due to environmental events - leads to the reduction in the gene pool - the prevalence of a particular characteristic

Question 40

Allopatric speciation

Answer 40

- The formation of a new species due to the geographical/physically isolation of a few individuals, - eventually form a new population - and can no longer interbreed with the original population

Question 41

Exinct

Answer 41

When all individuals in a species have died and no single organism survives

Question 42

Extant

Answer 42

Refers to the existence/living of a population/species

Question 43

Outbreeding

Answer 43

- the reproduction that occurs naturally - in larger populations - freely interbreed and exchange genetic material - leading to greater variation and genetic diversity 

Question 44

Gene flow

Answer 44

- The movement/exchange of genetic material - between population in different habitats. - due to interbreeding

Question 45

Out-of-Africa Theory

Answer 45

homo sapiens originated in Africa Homo erectus extinct migrated to other continents temp, prey, population

Question 46

Multiregional hypothesis

Answer 46

- Homo erectus occupied different lands - homo sapiens evolved outside of africa - independently evolded to the same species - because when moving, continents allowed for interbreeding