Exam 4

Question 1

Theory

Answer 1

a universal explanation for a wide range of phenomena

Question 2

Hypothesis

Answer 2

A tentative explanation for natural phenomena (an educated guess)

Question 3

Fact

Answer 3

An agreed-upon interpretation of observations.

Question 4

Law

Answer 4

A statement describing the relationship between two or more phenomena

Question 5

Model

Answer 5

A representation of a real-world phenomenon that emphasizes some aspect of that phenomenon.

Question 6

Proof

Answer 6

the results of an investigation either support, or do not support the hypothesis being tested. In science there is always room for alternative explanations, as long as they are consistent with the data.

Question 7

Falsifiability

Answer 7

that is there has to exist some set of circumstances that if they occurred they would show that the idea is false.

Question 8

Paradigm shift

Answer 8

a fundamental change in the basic concepts and practices of a particular field or discipline. It involves a new way of thinking that alters how people understand and approach problems.

Question 9

Grade

Answer 9

levels of evolutionary development. Ex: reptile grade includes cold-blooded physiology and scales. Mammal includes warm-blood physiology, mammary glands, and hair.

Question 10

Clade

Answer 10

evolutionary lineages, or a group of species that includes an ancestral species and all of its descendants. Ex. Organism in different grades can be included in the same clade if they are descended from a common ancestor.

Question 11

Anapsid

Answer 11

refers to a type of skull that has no openings (or “fenestrae”) behind the eyes.

no temporal opening

Question 12

Diapsid

Answer 12

two openings behind the eyes, that are for the jaw muscle to get larger. Clade Eureptilia, clade Archosauria and Lepidosauria

Question 13

Synapsid

Answer 13

refers to a type of skull that has one opening behind the eyes.

Question 14

Tetrapoda

Answer 14

4 limbed vertebrates

Question 15

Amniota

Answer 15

clade of vertebrates that includes reptiles, birds, and mammals. They are characterized by having an amniotic egg.

Question 16

Synapsida

Answer 16

major clade of amniotes characterized by having a single temporal fenestra in the skull

Question 17

Sauropsida

Answer 17

reptiles and birds, under this group there is the parareptilia and eureptilia.

Question 18

Eureptilia

Answer 18

clade within the group of reptiles that includes most modern reptiles, such as lizards, snakes, and crocodiles, as well as their extinct relatives. (two temporal fenestrae (openings) in their skulls)

Question 19

Lepidosauromorpha

Answer 19

scaled lizard forms (snake lizards…)

Question 20

Archosauromorpha

Answer 20

rulling lizard form, broader grouping of reptiles that includes most modern reptiles and their ancestors. Specifically, Archosauromorpha comprises the archosaurs—birds and crocodilians—and their close relatives.

Question 21

Crurotarsi

Answer 21

crocodiles, alligators and gavials.

Question 22

Ornithodira

Answer 22

is a clade within Archosauromorpha that includes pterosaurs (flying reptiles) and the dinosaurs (including birds). It is characterized by specific skeletal features, such as an elongated metatarsal and an upright stance.

Question 23

Dinosauria

Answer 23

terrible lizards, clade that includes all dinosaurs, a diverse group of reptiles that dominated terrestrial ecosystems

Question 24

Saurichia

Answer 24

This includes theropods (like Tyrannosaurus and modern birds) and sauropodomorphs (like Brachiosaurus).

Question 25

Ornithischia

Answer 25

group includes various herbivorous dinosaurs such as Stegosaurus and Triceratops.

Question 26

Theropoda

Answer 26

beast-footed dinosaur

Question 27

Sauropodomorpha

Answer 27

lizard footed dinosaur

Question 28

Ornithopoda

Answer 28

duck, billed dinosaur

Question 29

Thyreophora

Answer 29

armored dinosaur

Question 30

Marginocephalia

Answer 30

fringe-Headed dinosaur

Question 31

Erect stance

Answer 31

an upright posture with the body standing vertically, typical in humans and some animals.

Question 32

Sprawled stance

Answer 32

a posture where the limbs extend out to the sides, common in many reptiles.

Question 33

Semi-erect stance

Answer 33

a middle posture where the body is partly upright, with limbs positioned somewhat to the side and back.

Question 34

Microevolution

Answer 34

evolution within a species (adaptation)

Question 35

Macroevolution

Answer 35

the creation of new species and higher taxonomic categories.

Question 36

Natural selection

Answer 36

A mechanism for evolution. Differential survival and reproduction of phenotypic (what it looks like) and genotypic (genes that create that phenotype) variant.

Question 37

Sexual selection

Answer 37

selection in which members of one gender select mates from the opposite gender based on some measures of quality.

Question 38

Genetic drift

Answer 38

a change in allele frequency by chance alone

Question 39

Founder effect

Answer 39

a change in allele frequency (generally a loss of genetic variation) in a new population as the result of creating the population from a subset of a larger population.

Question 40

Population bottlenecks

Answer 40

a severe reduction in the number of individuals in a population with subsequent recovery of the population’s size.

Question 41

Heterochrony

Answer 41

a change in the pattern of allometric growth, a change in the timing of life-history events.

Question 42

Paedomorphosis

Answer 42

evolutionary process in which an organism retains juvenile features into adulthood.

Question 43

Peramorphosis

Answer 43

evolutionary process in which an organism develops exaggerated adult features or characteristics beyond those of its ancestors.

Question 44

Hox genes

Answer 44

(master gene), control other genes, operate by controlling the functioning of structural genes Structural genes are responsible for making the structure of the body.

Question 45

Stratigraphy

Answer 45

the study of the order and relative position of strata

Question 46

Superposition Principle

Answer 46

it believes that the youngest layers of the earth at the top and the oldest layers at the bottom.

Question 47

Relatie dating

Answer 47

layers at the lower strata are older and layers at the higher strata younger but not sure how old or young

Question 48

Numerial dating

Answer 48

Based on radioactive decay you can determine how old a layer is.

Question 49

Endothermic

Answer 49

obtaining heat from an internal (endogenous) source

Question 50

Ectothermic

Answer 50

obtaining heat from the environment

Question 51

Poikilothermic

Answer 51

a variable body temperature

Question 52

Homeothermic

Answer 52

a constant body temperature

Question 53

Inertial homeothermy (gigantothermy)

Answer 53

Ability of certain animals to maintain a stable body temperature due to their body temperature mass and low heat loss

Question 54

Oviparous

Answer 54

egg-laying

Question 55

Viviparous

Answer 55

live birth

Question 56

Ovoviviparous

Answer 56

live birth without direct maternal contribution to the embryo

Question 57

Parthenogenesis

Answer 57

development of an egg without the help of a male

Question 58

Precocial young

Answer 58

young are able to move aroudn easily shortly after birth

Question 59

Altricial young

Answer 59

young are nest-bound, wholly dependent on parent for food.

Question 60

Alpha Decay

Answer 60

Atomic mass lose 4 Atomic number lose 2

Question 61

Beta Decay

Answer 61

don’t change atomic mass increase 1 atomic number

Question 62

Gamma Decay

Answer 62

Dangerous rays doesn’t change atomic number, doesn’t change atomic mass, gamma rays the worst.

Question 63

Radioactive half-life

Answer 63

The interval of time required for one-half of the atomic nuclei of a radioactive sample to decay.

Question 64

Local extinction

Answer 64

The loss of an organism in a local area.

Question 65

Global extinction

Answer 65

The loss of an organism from the planet.

Question 66

Background extinction

Answer 66

The constant, low level loss of species from the planet.

Question 67

Mass extinction

Answer 67

The loss of a significant portion of the organisms that had been alive during a fairly short time period.

Question 68

Cyclic Mass Extinction

Answer 68

Mass extinctions that occur on a repeating regular basis.

Question 69

Siberian Traps

Answer 69

similarity: both result of extensive volcanism, indicative of volcanic activity going on for a long time, associated Permian extinction, older Area of an extensive lava. Lava that covers 2 km thick almost a 1 million square miles that covers.

Question 70

Deccan Traps

Answer 70

associated with the dinosaur extinction, extensive volcanism Extensive volcanism, Located in India or where India was, 65 million years ago. 2,000 meters thick. Covering 500,000 km2 (193,051square miles)

Question 71

Antarctic Crater

Answer 71

Evidence of a bolide Crater in Antartica dates about 250 million years ago.

Question 72

Chicxulub

Answer 72

massive crater buried under Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It was created about 66 million years ago when a huge asteroid or comet hit Earth. This impact is believed to have caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs by triggering massive fires, a “nuclear winter” from dust blocking sunlight, and drastic changes to the climate.

Question 73

Shiva Bolide Crater

Answer 73

Crater right next to India, dates about 65 million years ago,

Question 74

Describe the importance of falsifiability, uniformitarianism, proof, and truth without certainty to the process of science.

Answer 74

Falsifiability Importance to Science: Falsifiability allows science to self-correct by discarding or revising hypotheses that do not align with observed data. It separates science from pseudoscience, ensuring that only testable and refutable ideas are pursued. Uniformitarianism Importance to Science: This principle underpins fields like geology and evolutionary biology, enabling scientists to infer historical phenomena using current evidence. It promotes consistency and predictability in scientific models of Earth's processes. Proof Importance to Science: Scientific proof provides confidence in a hypothesis while maintaining flexibility for new evidence. It allows science to advance through incremental and evidence-based understanding, rather than claiming immutable truths. Truth Without Certainty Importance to Science: This concept drives continuous inquiry and avoids dogmatism, recognizing that science evolves as new tools, data, and methods emerge. It fosters humility and adaptability in the scientific process.

Question 75

Identify the major clades to which the dinosaurs belong and where these clades diverge from amphibians, mammals, snakes and lizards, and crocodilians.

Answer 75

- All are Tetrapoda - All except Amphibians are amniotes - Snakes + Lizards are Lepidosauria - Mammals are Synapside - Crocodilians are Crurotarsi - Mammal, crocodilians, dinosaurs are archosauria - Dinosaurs are ornithodira o Birds are therapod

Question 76

Describe how natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift, the founder effect and population bottlenecks affect evolution by changing the genetic make-up of a population.

Question 77

Describe the rock cycle and how one form of rock can be transformed into another.

Answer 77

The rock cycle is a continuous process in which rocks are transformed between three main types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic, through processes like melting, cooling, weathering, erosion, compaction, and heat or pressure.

Question 78

Describe the mechanism of plate tectonics and how it relates to continental movement, volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain building.

Answer 78

Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's lithosphere is divided into rigid plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere, driven by convection currents in the mantle. This movement causes continental drift, volcanic activity at plate boundaries, earthquakes from plate interactions, and mountain building through collisions or uplift.

Question 79

Describe the evidence for and possible roles that plate tectonics, extensive volcanism, and bolide impacts had in the end Permian and end Cretaceous extinctions.

Answer 79

Evidence for the end-Permian extinction includes massive volcanic activity in the Siberian Traps, which released greenhouse gases and toxins, causing climate change and ocean anoxia, while potential tectonic-driven shifts disrupted ecosystems. For the end-Cretaceous extinction, the Chicxulub bolide impact caused widespread fires, tsunamis, and a "nuclear winter," amplified by Deccan Traps volcanism, which further destabilized Earth's climate and biota.

Question 80

Articulate both pro and con arguments in relation to several lines of evidence related to dinosaurs being endothermic.

Answer 80

Pro: Evidence like the high metabolic rates inferred from growth rings in dinosaur bones, bird-like respiratory structures, and predator-prey ratios suggest dinosaurs were endothermic, enabling sustained activity. Con: Counterarguments highlight the lack of direct evidence for warm-blooded physiology, with some pointing to large size and gigantothermy as alternatives for temperature regulation, as well as traits shared with ectothermic reptiles.

Question 81

Describe the roles of the collar bone and feathers in determining the dinosaur-bird evolutionary connection.

Answer 81

The collarbone (or furcula) is a key feature linking dinosaurs to birds, as it provides structural support for flight muscles and is found in theropod dinosaurs closely related to birds. Feathers, originally serving insulation or display functions in non-avian dinosaurs, highlight a gradual evolutionary transition, culminating in their role in flight for early birds like Archaeopteryx.