Evolution and Extinction Quiz

Study Notes

Evolution and Extinction

If living things don't evolve or change, they can't survive and become extinct if their surroundings change.
Extinction is forever, and the species doesn't appear again.
Human extinction is accepted, but natural extinction is not accepted.

Charles Lyell

Lyell was a naturalist who believed that species can change a little, but not a lot.
He believed that if conditions are right, extinct species will come back.
He proposed that species fit their environment, but his theory contradicted fossil findings.
Lyell's strongest follower was Darwin.

Darwin's Theory

Darwin criticized former geologists who tried to explain the erosion of the lava and rocks of the valley by bringing into account violent action of a flood.
He theorized that the steps of the valley could only be as a result of slow erosion of the sea.
Darwin believed that slow erosion done by the sea over a very long time resulted in the formation of terraces.

Darwin and Fitzroy

Myth: Media portrays a conflict between Darwin and Fitzroy, with Fitzroy being a religious creationist and Darwin being a skeptic.
Reality: Fitzroy was not religious, and was just as scientific as Darwin.
Fitzroy invited Darwin on the voyage and kept his own diary of observations.

Darwin's Life

After the birth of their first child, Emma and Darwin moved to Down House in Kent in 1842.
Darwin worked in a small corner in his study, using a chair with leg wheels and a board as a table.
He had a lake lowered to prevent people from peeking inside the house and installed mirrors to see if visitors were coming.

The Species Problem

John Herschel wrote to Lyell in 1836 about "the mystery of mysteries, the replacement of extinct creatures with others".
Darwin attempts to answer this question.
This was not a timeless problem that people had been asking, but rather a specific question that Darwin aimed to answer.

Rev. William Paley

Rev. Paley was a clergyman who wrote a book titled Natural Theology in 1802.
Darwin liked this book and found the argument compelling.
Paley distinguished between systematic affinity (similarity due to descent) and analogy (similarity due to adaptation to similar environments).

Notebook D

Notebook D (July-October 1838) was mainly about reproduction.
Darwin asked: "What is the origin of adaptation?" and "Why is the world not overrun by one type of species?"
He answered: Natural selection ruthlessly keeps potential growth of a population in check, and only the strong are spared.

Alfred Russel Wallace

Wallace's collection was the most systematic natural history collection in Singapore at the time.
He travelled with his assistants to help him collect specimens, and his collection was gigantic.
Wallace was interested in animals, and noticed variation in the species he collected.
He had a trusted assistant, Ali, who became his most important and trusted assistant.

Description

Test your knowledge on the concepts of evolution and extinction, including how new species appear, factors leading to extinction, and the impact of environmental changes. Explore the significance of adaptation in survival and the consequences of failure to evolve.