Midterm 1 (Part 1)

Question 1

What were darwins two main insights?

Answer 1

Descent with modification and natural slecection

Question 2

2 types of homology?

Answer 2

structural and developmental homology

Question 3

What is a recent example of natural selection?

Answer 3

Peppered moths or mullerian mimicry in motjs

Question 4

What is Induction?

Answer 4

inductive reasoning sources biological hypothesis, but not used to test.

Question 5

what is a scientific theory?

Answer 5

a hypothesis that has survived attempts at fasification (think theory of evolution)

Question 6

What were darwins evidence for natural selection? (3)

Answer 6

Deductive reasoning, organisms are well suited for their environments, artifical selection

Question 7

The more extrapolation…

Answer 7

the lower the inferential strength

Question 8

What are 3 misconceptions abt evolution?

Answer 8

1- is not goal driven nor progressive, no endpoint
2- natural selection not for good of the species, comes from variation not fitness
3- natural selection doesnt make perfection, lacks foresight

Question 9

4 kinds of knowledge acquisition? MORS

Answer 9

Rational (sci. method), Skeptical of hypothesis and evidence, objective (unbiased), methodologically materialistic (no supernatural)

Question 10

how do fossils prove common descent?

Answer 10

demonstrated extinction and that species change, fossils provide evidence of slow change

Question 11

What are 3 examples of natural selection?

Answer 11

Batesian mimicry (butterfly resemble unpalatable species), experimental evolution (temp changhe in prozac), bumpus sparrows (surviving birds differed in traits)

Question 12

What is the argument of design?

Answer 12

says that complex structures of living things , adaptations, evidence of intelligent designer

Question 13

Descriptive vs Hypothesis testing?

Answer 13

D- characterizes patterns, shows how systems behave
H- testing explanations for exsisting patterns

Question 14

what is biogeography?

Answer 14

living species tend to be similar to one geographically nearby, which makes sense due to descent from a common ancestor

Question 15

4 evidences for common descent?

Answer 15

Homology, vestigial structures, fossils, biogeography

Question 16

what is extrapolation?

Answer 16

we assumes studies done on smaller scale correspoind directly to larger system of interest

Question 17

what is Lamarks theory of evolution?

Answer 17

proposed new complex species came from older less complex, occured via inheritence of aqquired characters (continues use or disuse of structures passed to offspring)

Question 18

what are vestigial structures?

Answer 18

remnants of structures that served function in ancestor

Question 19

What did darwin observe in fauna on G islands?

Answer 19

collected what he thought were different kinds of birds, turned out to be discint groups of same finch species

Question 20

What did Thomas Malthus say?

Answer 20

argued that policies to help the poor are doomed because population growth will outstrip food production

Question 21

what were darwins geological observations?

Answer 21

studied geology and found volcanic uplifted rock, elevated land by earthquake, sinking seabeds and coral, belived in uniformitarisam

Question 22

What were some debates against natural selection?

Answer 22

no new species produced via artifical selection, precursors of complex organs unlikely to have been advantageuis, earth was thought not to be old enough, general evidence lacking (no studies)

Question 23

what 3 conditions must be met for natural selection?

Answer 23

idividuals vary in traits, their ability to survive and reproduce relative to other individuals in population, the trait is heritable and will evolve

Question 24

What is descent with modification?

Answer 24

all species related to like individuals evolved from a common ancestor, Linnaeus could classify phylogenic groups because of descent with modification

Question 25

what is homology?

Answer 25

similarities in structure despite different function, Darwin said this is because species descend from common ancestor, now defined as similarity due to inheritance from common ancestor

Question 26

what did darwin observe to reject creationsim

Answer 26

specices in similar habits were distinct, along w flora and fauna, fossils were similar to similar species

Question 27

Uniformitarism vs catastrophism

Answer 27

uni- processes of change we can see (erosion, volcano) cata- flood of the world

Question 28

defintion of evolution?

Answer 28

a change in heritable character in a population over time, populations evolve, individuals do not

Question 29

What is natural selection according to Darwin and Wallace?

Answer 29

individuals must compete for resources, and the trait that better enables them to do this create more offspring with the trait

Question 30

sedimentary rock showed what?

Answer 30

it showed that erosion occured and world must be old and life exsisted, geologicla changes occured over extended periods of time

Question 31

3 inferences for natural selection?

Answer 31

struggle for existence so only portion of population survives, success depends on traits faciliatating it, traits that increase success will be more common

Question 32

what makes a scientific hypothesis

Answer 32

must be ruftable/ rejectable, can not be proved 100%

Question 33

Who was alfred russel wallace?

Answer 33

observed same theory as darwin, sent records and paper concering evolution to darwin and aksed him to publish, darwin published his work as joint work

Question 34

what is The Origin?

Answer 34

darwins book on natural selection, considered to be one of the most influential academic books ever

Question 35

what is inferential strength/ when is it strongest?

Answer 35

measures how strongly results support conclusion, strongest in manipulative studies

Question 36

3 steps in summary of scientific method?

Answer 36

Falsifiable hypothesis made, deductive predictions tested, statistical inference used

Question 37

What is inference?

Answer 37

if predicted pattern is observed/ not observed, then hyp. is supported/ falisified

Question 38

what role did fossils play?

Answer 38

fossil records showed extintction, challenges idea that flora and fauna are constant

Question 39

what is statistical hypothesis testing?

Answer 39

is a found pattern a random sample variation, or repeatable phenomenon?

Question 40

deduction?

Answer 40

logical conclusion from one or more statements, no uncertainty, predicitions must follow deductly from hypothesis

Question 41

what is natural selection?

Answer 41

reproductive success of individuals due to differences in phenotype, fitness refers to ability to survive to next generation

Question 42

hypothesis vs. prediction?

Answer 42

h- causal explanantion for given patterm p- statement of what must be observed under specific conditions if hyp. is true

Question 43

observational vs maniuplative study?

Answer 43

o- researcher observes and measures but doesnt alter m- something is changed and compared to control treatement