Historical Geology - Evolution

Question 1

What is evolution?

Answer 1

differential reproductive success of genes within a population.
- change through time

Question 2

What was Jean Baptiste Lamarck basic theory?

Answer 2

Species adapted to their environment

Question 3

What was Darwin’s basic theory?

Answer 3

natural selection

Question 4

Who came up with the idea of natural selection?

Answer 4

Alfred Russell Wallace

Question 5

What is natural selection?

Answer 5

• fitness = probability of successful reproduction

- inheritable traits that increase fitness are more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations

Question 6

What are genetics?

Answer 6

offspring inherit genetic material from their parents

Question 7

What was Jean Baptiste Lamarck basic theory? What was his mistake?

Answer 7

Species adapted to their environment. the Mistake he made is that organisms do not pass down acquired traits.

Question 8

What is mutation?

Answer 8

permanent changes in the DNA sequence

Question 9

Kinds of mutations?

Answer 9

Deletions - DNA base pair is removed from strand
Inversions - DNA bases are reversed in order
Duplications - DNA sequence is erroneously repeated

Question 10

Do mutations drive evolution?

Answer 10

No

Question 11

What do mutations do?

Answer 11

Help provide genetic variation within a population which can be acted upon by natural selection to cause evolution.

Question 12

Why is population size important in evolution?

Answer 12

• Larger populations have more genetic inertia (material) and more variability so they evolve more slowly and selectively
• smaller populations evolve rapidly and have less variability making them more vulnerable to extinction

Question 13

What is speciation?

Answer 13

The process through which a new species is formed.

Question 14

Kinds of mutations? Explain each.

Answer 14

Deletions - DNA base pair is removed from strand
Inversions - DNA bases are reversed in order
Duplications - DNA sequence is erroneously repeated

Question 15

What are the modes of speciation? explain each.

Answer 15

Phyletic grandualism - evolution occurs at a constant rate, speciation gradual process
Punctuated equilibrium - taxa exist for long periods of time with little net genetic and/or morphological change with speciation taking place rapidly.

Question 16

Does evolution ever stop? Explain.

Answer 16

No. The environment applies constant selective pressure to populations. Even when no morphological changes happen genetics are still changes via genetic recombination (sexual reproduction, mutation, natural selection)

Question 17

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 17

Taxa from separate evolutionary lineages converge upon similar body plans or adaptations. fish - reptile - mammal

Question 18

What is Dollo”s Law?

Answer 18

In general, evolution is not a reversible process.

Question 19

How do we track biodiversity in the fossil record?

Answer 19

Rates of origination and extinction.

Question 20

Explain Origination Rate.

Answer 20

rate at which new taxa evolve/are found in the fossil record.

Question 21

What is extinction?

Answer 21

The end of a genetic lineage.

Question 22

What is background extinction rate?

Answer 22

The rate at which taxa go extinct through geologic time.

Question 23

When does mass extinction occur?

Answer 23

When the extinction rate increases and overwhelms the origination rate.

Question 24

Name the 5 mass extinctions in the history of the planet.

Answer 24

1. End Ordovician
2. End Devonian
3. Permo-Triassic
4. End Triassic
5. End Cretaceous

Question 25

what is the 6th mass extinction likely to be caused by?

Answer 25

Humans

Question 26

What is the Biological Species concept?

Answer 26

Members of a population that can breed and produce viable offspring.

Question 27

What is the Morphological Species concept?

Answer 27

Species differentiated on the basis of morphological (physical) differences.

Question 28

What is a fossil?

Answer 28

Remains or traces of past life preserved in the rock record.

Question 29

What is Taphonomy?

Answer 29

The science that - seeks to understand natural processes so that data from fossil record can be evaluated correctly - seeks to understand the processes involved in creation preservation - seeks to understand the physical, biological, chemical, geological, and anthropological processes involved in the creation, preservation, and collection of fossils

Question 30

What are the Preservational Controls?

Answer 30

- Rate, quantity, and composition of remains - Environmental conditions (pre-burial) - Time to burial - Post-depositional sedimentary conditions - Fate of sediments once lithified

Question 31

What are the Taphonomic processes/biases?

Answer 31

- Biochemical fidelity - Anatomical fidelity - Spatial fidelity - Temporal fidelity - Compositional fidelity

Question 32

What is Biochemical fidelity?

Answer 32

Alteration of chemical composition. • Permineralization • Replacement • Original material

Question 33

What is Anatomical fidelity?

Answer 33

modification of physical structure. • Disarticulation / Dismemberment • Decomposition

Question 34

What is Spacial fidelity?

Answer 34

How far it has been transported since death. How many transport events have to be taken into account.

Question 35

What is Temporal fidelity?

Answer 35

Time-averaging within units and assemblages.

Question 36

What is Compositional fidelity?

Answer 36

Fossil assemblage accurate representation of source ecosystem.

Question 37

How do we control for taphonomic | biases?

Answer 37

Recognition of possible biases

Question 38

Name the 6 ways fossils are formed and describe each.

Answer 38

1. Original remains - little to no alteration of remains 2. Permineralization - Spaces in microstructure are filled with minerals (forming internal casts) 3. Replacement - growth of a secondary material at the expense of the original material 4. Recrystallization - change in mineral structure from aragonite to more stable calcite. Results in loss of anatomical detail. 5. Dissolution - original material completely removed while not being replaced. 6. Trace - Non-body fossils caused by organisms • Feeding traces • Footprints • Root casts • Burrows • Coprolites