Unit 8 Evolution Study Guide Flashcards
Define “evolution”.
The process of change over time
Define “theory” in scientific terms.
A Well supported explanation
Who is Charles Darwin, and why is he important?
He was a biologist & naturalist (someone who studies the natural world) and had always been interested in biological diversity
What 3 patterns of biological diversity did Darwin observe?
Species vary globally - He saw that species differed in different parts of the world
Species vary locally - Related species often live in different habitats within a local area (and may look different)
Species vary over time - Darwin saw fossils that showed some extinct species were similar to living ones, while others were unlike anything he had ever seen.
Where did Darwin do most of his famous research?
Galapagos Islands
Describe the importance of Darwin’s finches.
Beak size differed depending on the island that they were on. All were the same species of birds, but they had changed over time to adapt to their habitat!
In Darwin’s time, how old did people believe the Earth was?
A few thousand years old
_________ _____________ concluded that the Earth must be much older than most believed - he coined the term “ ______ ______” which means “much older than we can imagine”.
James Hutton, deep time
