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Environmental Science > Test 2 > Flashcards

Test 2 Flashcards

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0
Q

Used to classify animals; involves hierarchy with different levels

A

Linnaean System of Classification

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1
Q

The science of classifying organisms

A

Taxonomy

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2
Q

Levels of classification

A 
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
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3
Q

Simple, single-called organisms that lack a nucleus

A

Prokaryotes

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4
Q

Thrive in extreme environments

A

Archaebacteria

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5
Q

Characterized by complex cells in which the genetic material is found within the nucleus

A

Eukaryotes

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6
Q

Typically unicellular organisms

A

Protista

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7
Q

History of organism lineages as they change through time

A

Phylogeny

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8
Q

Classification based on the number of shared physical characteristics. Does not account for evolution

A

Phenetic Classification

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9
Q

Classification based solely on phylogeny or shared common ancestry

A

Cladistic Phylogeny

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10
Q

The continuous genetic adaptation of organisms or species to their environment through time

A

Evolution

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11
Q

Floods and earthquakes must have periodically killed off organisms in parts of the world and new organisms from other parts of the world moved in to repopulate the regions

A

Catastrophe theory

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12
Q

Physical characteristics were acquired due to inner needs and inherited by future generations

A

Lemarckian evolution

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13
Q

Darwin’s two key observations

A

1) Members of a single species tend to vary a little

2) populations produce more offspring than needed for maintenance - results in competition for natural resources

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14
Q

Process by which favorable traits become more common and unfavorable traits become less common in successive generations of a population

A

Natural selection

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15
Q

Evidence of evolution

A
  • homologous structures
  • vestigial organs
  • biochemistry
  • early embryonic development
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16
Q

Body parts of similar origin, structure, and development but adapted for different functions

A

Homologous structures

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17
Q

Reduced or useless structures in plants or animals that are useful in other organisms

A

Vestigial organs

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18
Q

Study of chemical processes in living organisms; metabolism of vastly different organisms is based on the same complex compounds

A

Biochemistry

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19
Q

The remains of or trace of the presence of an ancient organism

A

Fossil

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20
Q

Preserved remains of an ancient organism

A

Body fossil

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21
Q

Indication of an ancient organism

A

Trace fossil

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22
Q

Occurs when an animal dies and is rapidly buried by soft sediments in low oxygen environments

A

Fossilization

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23
Q

Bones are converted into solid rock

A

Replacement

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24
Certain traits show up in offspring without any blending of parent characteristics
Mendel's Law of Inheritance
25
Permanent inheritable change in genetic material within cells
Mutation
26
Group of individuals capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring
Species
27
The origin of a new species from two or more individuals of a pre-existing one
Speciation
28
Process through which populations of the same species are physically isolated and evolve separately
Allopatric Speciation
29
Process through which new species evolve from a single ancestral species inhabiting the same geographic region; speciation through biological isolation
Sympatric Speciation
30
States that most species will show little change over most of their geological history. This is interrupted by abrupt, brief periods of change; suggest phyletic gradualism
Punctuated Equilibrium
31
Species split into two distinct species rather than one species gradually transforming into another
Phyletic gradualism
32
Process where organisms not closely related independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches
Convergent evolution
33
Process by which a species splits into two or more descendent species resulting in one similar species becoming more and more dissimilar
Divergent evolution
34
Body size increases during the evolution of species
Cope's rule
35
Rapid expansion of a species over a relatively short period of time; usually caused by adaptive breakthroughs and extinction events
Evolutionary radiation
36
Appearance of key features or traits that allow the species to succeed
Adaptive breakthroughs
37
Death of one species which presents opportunities for another one
Extinction events
38
Disappearance of large numbers of plants and animals; caused by extraterrestrial impact, climate change, disease, predation, and natural disasters
Mass extinctions
39
Start of the universe
13.7 billion years ago
40
Age of the Earth
4.6 billion years
41
Same elements with different number of neutrons
Isotopes
42
Persist in environment
Stable isotope
43
Not stable and once formed, will decay to form stable ones
Radioactive isotopes
44
Amount of time for half of the original radioactive isotope to decay to the stable end product
Half life
45
Eons
Precambrian | Phanerozoic
46
Eras
Paleozoic Mesozoic Cenozoic
47
Process by which Terrestrial planets formed through the continuous collision of rocky debris. Rocks melted and denser material migrated to the center of the planet
Differentiation
48
Without oxygen
Anaerobic
49
1st life appears
3.8 billion years ago
50
Age of invertebrates
Early Paleozoic
51
Beginning of the Paleozoic when there is a great diversity of life
Cambrian explosion
52
Age of fishes
Middle Paleozoic
53
Age of amphibians
Late Paleozoic
54
Mammal-like reptiles
Therapsids
55
Age of the reptiles
Early Mesozoic
56
Age of the dinosaurs
Middle and late Mesozoic
57
Age of the mammals
Cenozoic Era
58
When humans split off from true apes
Between 8 and 6 million years ago
59
Shows traits of both apes and humans
Australopithecines
60
"Handy man"; 1st known species of genus homo
Homo Habilis
61
"To set upright"; evolved larger brains and made more elaborate tools that Homo Habilis
Homo Erectus
62
"Wise or knowing man"; larger brains and even more elaborate tools than Home Erectus
Homo Sapiens
63
Number of Kingdoms of Life
6: Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
64
First organisms to move out of the sea onto land due to a development of a rigid stalk, root system, and vascular system.
Plants
65
What adaption freed plants of their dependence on moist conditions and allowed them to move further inland?
Seeds
66
Four measures of Geologic Time Scale
Eons, Eras, Periods, and Epochs

Environmental Science (4 decks)

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