10 Questions
What did Charles Darwin observe in fossils from the Argentinian coast?
Similar body armor between living armadillos and fossilized glyptodonts
What is the main reason for the resemblance between semiaquatic rodents and rodents from the mountains?
They shared a common ancestor
What was the title of Charles Darwin's book on descent by modification?
Transmutation of Species
What is the term for the process by which advantageous hereditary traits become more common in a population?
Natural Selection
What is the phylogenetic tree used to represent?
Evolutionary relationships between species
What is the mechanism that drives evolution, according to Darwin's theory?
Natural selection
What did Charles Darwin observe on the Galapagos Islands?
Variations in finches on different islands
What is the term for the process of species changing over time through natural selection?
Descent with Modification
What is the primary difference between artificial and natural selection?
The mechanism of selection
What is the term for the study of the evolution of developmental processes?
Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Study Notes
Morphological Novelties
- Paedomorphosis: the development of reproductive capability in an organism with juvenile characteristics, a common form of heterochrony
- Exaptation: the original version of a trait, which may then be modified by natural selection to enhance its new function
- Examples: feathers were not initially used for flight but for insulation or to attract a mate, and later evolved for flight
Evolutionary Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary developmental biology: studies how evolutionary changes in genes regulating embryonic development can lead to morphological changes and increase biodiversity
- Genetic "Tool Kit": a set of several hundred homeotic genes shared among animals, which control development and govern the basic design of the body
- Examples: Hox gene (controls limbs), Pax-6 gene (triggers formation of light sensing organs/eyes)
Modern Synthesis
- Integrated data from biogeography, comparative morphology, comparative embryology, paleontology, and taxonomy
- Considered natural selection as the primary mechanism of evolution
- Embraced Darwin's gradualism idea and de-emphasized the significance of mutations
Micro-Evolution and Macro-Evolution
- Micro-evolution: small-scale genetic changes within populations, often in response to environmental changes
- Macro-evolution: large-scale evolutionary changes observed in species and more inclusive groups, resulting from the gradual accumulation of micro-evolutional changes
Development of Theory
- Selective breeding and heredity: understanding how offspring resemble parents and how artificial selection can enhance desired characteristics
- Hypothesis and prediction: recognizing that not all offspring survive to maturity, and that variations in hereditary traits enable some individuals to survive and reproduce more than others
- Natural selection: the process by which variations in hereditary traits become more common in a population over time, favoring adaptive traits
Theory of Descent with Modification
- Evolutionary alteration and diversification of ancestral species
- Natural selection drives evolution, leading to the development of a phylogenetic tree
This quiz covers the development and evolution of organisms, including paedomorphosis, heterochrony, and exaptation.
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