Evolution and Artificial Selection Quiz

Origin of Life on Earth

• The estimated age of the first appearance of life on Earth is approximately 3.5 billion years ago.
• The first life forms to appear on Earth are believed to be prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria.

Early Earth's Atmosphere

• The early Earth's atmosphere lacked oxygen and consisted of gases like methane, ammonia, and water vapor.
• The absence of ozone in the early Earth's atmosphere allowed ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth's surface, which was significant for the origin of life.

Evolution

• One of the postulates of evolution proposed by Darwin is that species change over time through natural selection.
• Darwin suggested that variation, mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow are necessary for evolution to occur.
• The most important aspect of life for evolution to happen is genetic variation.

Microorganisms

• An example of advantageous diversification is the ability of some bacteria to survive in extreme environments.
• Obligate anaerobes are bacteria that cannot survive in oxygen.

Chemistry and Energy Production

• The chemical formula for hydrogen peroxide is H2O2.
• Chemolithoautotrophy is the process where organisms use chemicals from hydrothermal vents to produce energy.

Autotrophs and Photosynthesis

• Step 3 in evolution involves autotrophs developing the ability to make their own food through photosynthesis.
• The absence of ozone in the early Earth's atmosphere was beneficial for early bacteria in the ocean as it allowed them to thrive in an anaerobic environment.
• The molecule used in photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen is chlorophyll.
• The byproduct of photosynthesis is oxygen and glucose.

Carbon Cycle and Geologic Time Scale

• Microevolution is the change in the frequency of alleles in a population over time.
• The discovery of the Earth's age was important for Darwin's theory of evolution as it provided a timeline for evolution to occur.
• The Stanley Miller experiment produced amino acids, the building blocks of life.

Historical Context

• Before the idea of evolution, the prevailing belief was that life was created by God.
• The idea of survival of the fittest was misused in fascist Germany to justify racism and imperialism.
• The term 'fit' in the context of the peppered moth example refers to the moth's ability to adapt to its environment.

Geologic Time Scale

• The largest division of the geologic time scale is the eon.
• The Mesozoic Era is known as the age of the dinosaurs.
• The event that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs and the rise of mammals is believed to be a massive asteroid impact.
• Radioactive elements like uranium undergo spontaneous change and change into lead over time.
• The half-life of carbon-14 is approximately 5,730 years.
• Potassium-argon dating is commonly used to determine the age of the Earth.
• The event that led to the formation of the banded iron formation rock was the oxygenation of the Earth's atmosphere.
• The great die off of anaerobic organisms was caused by the increase in oxygen levels in the atmosphere.
• The development of large multicellular organisms was allowed by the increase in oxygen levels.
• During the Carboniferous time period, the oxygen concentration on Earth was above 30 percent, and lush forests dominated the Earth's surface.
• The Permian-Triassic extinction event, the largest mass extinction on the planet, was caused by massive volcanic eruptions.
• The reason for extremely large organisms during the time of the dinosaurs was the high oxygen levels.
• Approximately 0.003% of Earth's history is represented by the geologic time scale.
• The current epoch that humans might be on the edge of entering is the Anthropocene.
• The argument for potentially being in a new epoch is the significant impact of human activity on the environment.
• The estimated rate of extinction caused by humans is 100-1,000 times the normal rate.