Macroevolution Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is macroevolution?
The grand-scale evolutionary change that happens over long periods
What are the three types of rock?
Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic
What type of rocks create fossils?
Sedimentary
Why is the fossil record biased?
Because of the places fossils can be found,the parts of animals that can fossilise (soft tissues/feathers) and the types of animals that can be fossilised (invertebrates can’t)
What is phyletic gradualism?
The slow and steady divergence of lineages
According to phyletic gradualism, why might evolution appear “sudden” in the fossil record?
Gaps in the fossil record and time compression can make gradual evolutionary changes appear abrupt. Transitional forms likely existed for long periods but were not preserved or discovered.
What is a geological illusion?
The fossil record might appear to show rapid evolutionary changes occurring abruptly, but this appearance is likely due to the incomplete nature of the fossil record
What is the punctuated equilibrium?
A large amount of change in a short period suggests the “burst” is actually a burst. Transitional forms only existed for a very short period.
What is macromutation (Saltation)?
A big mutation that produces sudden evolutionary change, skipping over transitional forms (they don’t exist).
How can Evo-Devo (Evolutionary Developmental Biology) and gene regulation relate to the idea of large, sudden evolutionary changes?
Single mutations in key regulatory genes can cause significant developmental changes, offering a potential mechanism for large phenotypic shifts in a single generation.
What is the “genetic toolkit” in the context of evolution and development?
The conserved basic genetic mechanisms that control early development in multicellular organisms
What did the Cambrian Explosion cause?
Increased disparity and diversity
What caused the Cambrian Explosion?
Changes in the abiotic environment, genetic or developmental capacity, and biotic environment
What was a likely primary driver of the Cambrian arms race?
The evolution of predator-prey relationships.
How does Eco-Evo-Devo expand upon traditional Evo-Devo?
Integrates ecological factors into the study of how development influences evolution
How do we study development?
*Comparative embryology (Between species)
*Evolutionary embryology (Anatomical)
*Teratology (When things go wrong)
What are homeotic genes?
Regulatory genes that control the identity of body segments during development, mutations can change one structure to another
What is homeosis?
Replacement of one body part with another
