58 Questions
What is the idea that Darwin got from Malthus?
Competition for limited resources leads to natural selection
What assumption must be met for a population to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
Random mating
What is the consequence of inbreeding on the genetic structure of a population?
Decreases genetic diversity
What is sexual selection?
Selection based on traits that increase mating success
What is allopatric speciation?
Speciation occurring in different geographic areas
What are the limitations and biases of the fossil record?
Soft-bodied organisms rarely fossilize
What is a synapomorphy?
A derived trait shared by two or more taxa
What is an outgroup in a phylogenetic tree?
A taxon that diverged earlier than the taxa being studied
What terms describe different kinds of prezygotic isolating mechanisms?
Gametic Isolation and Mechanical Isolation
What are characters and what does a character state mean?
'Characters are observable features of an organism and character state refers to the specific expression of a character. '
Who was the first biologist to formulate a mechanism by which evolution might work?
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
What are Lamark's two principles?
Principle of disuse and principle of inheritance of acquired traits
What idea did Darwin owe to Thomas Malthus?
The idea of struggle for existence and survival of the fittest
Who is Nicolaus Steno and why is he important?
He developed the concept of stratigraphy
What evidence in the fossil record documents evolution?
Discovery of transitional forms
What are vestigial structures and how do they reflect evolution?
Vestigial structures are remnants of ancestral features with reduced or no function
What is a 'transitional form'? What is an example?
'Transitional forms' represent intermediate stages in the evolutionary history of organisms. An example is Archaeopteryx.
How did medieval people view nature?
Medieval people viewed nature as static and unchanging, reflecting God's creation
How is artificial selection evidence for evolution?
'Artificial selection' mimics the process of natural selection, leading to changes in populations over generations
Who first documented the fact that extinction takes place?
Georges Cuvier
What are Lamark's two principles?
Principle of use and disuse and principle of inheritance of acquired characteristics
What is uniformitarianism and who advocated it?
Uniformitarianism is the idea that geological processes occur at a constant rate advocated by James Hutton
Who was the first biologist to formulate a mechanism by which evolution might work?
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
How did medieval people view nature?
Medieval people viewed nature as unchanging and created by a divine entity
What is a 'transitional form' and provide an example.
'Transitional form' refers to an organism linking fish and amphibians, such as Tiktaalik
What is a fact in scientific inquiry?
A fact is an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as 'true'
Who is Nicolaus Steno and why is he important?
Nicolaus Steno was a biologist who proposed the Law of Superposition in geology
What does the term 'theory' mean to a scientist?
A theory is a scientific explanation that has been repeatedly confirmed through experimentation and observation.
Who was the father of modern paleontology?
Georges Cuvier
What is the process of natural selection and its outcome?
Natural selection is a non-random process that leads to the increase in frequency of beneficial traits in a population over time.
What are the genetic consequences of migration, also known as gene flow?
Gene flow increases genetic variation between populations.
What does the morphospecies concept emphasize?
This concept emphasizes the physical characteristics and appearance as the primary criteria for defining distinct species.
What is allopatric speciation and what conditions favor it?
Allopatric speciation takes place when environmental changes cause sympatric divergence, favored by extensive gene flow.
What are the limitations and biases of the fossil record?
Limitations include the rarity of fossilization, bias towards hard-bodied organisms, and incomplete preservation of transitional forms.
What is an apomorphy and how does it relate to phylogenetic trees?
Apomorphies are unique derived characteristics that set a group apart and are crucial for determining outgroups in phylogenetic trees.
What is an outgroup and why is it important in phylogenetic analysis?
Outgroup represents the ancestral condition for certain traits and is essential for rooting phylogenetic trees.
"What are characters and character states in the context of phylogenetic analysis?
'Characters' represent traits or features used to infer relationships, while 'character states' denote the different forms or conditions these traits can take.
How can we use radioactivity to estimate the age of fossils?
Fossil age estimation involves comparing radioactive decay rates of isotopes found in surrounding rocks with those present in fossils.
Why do we prefer the most parsimonious tree in phylogenetic analysis?
The most parsimonious tree minimizes ad hoc assumptions and requires fewer evolutionary changes, providing a more plausible explanation for relationship patterns.
What is the genetic consequence of migration, also known as gene flow?
It increases genetic diversity in the recipient population
What is the consequence of inbreeding on the genetic structure of a population?
It decreases genetic diversity
What are characters and what does a character state mean?
Characters are observable features, and character state refers to the genetic variation at a specific locus
What is an adaptation?
An adaptation is a trait that has evolved through natural selection to increase an organism's fitness in its environment
What is the morphospecies concept?
The morphospecies concept emphasizes similarities in physical appearance to define species boundaries
What is an apomorphy?
An apomorphy is a specialized trait unique to a particular lineage
What are the assumptions that must be met for a population to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
Small population size, no mutation, random mating, no natural selection, and no gene flow
What is the genetic consequence of genetic drift?
It decreases genetic variation within the population
What is allopatric speciation?
Allopatric speciation occurs when geographic barriers prevent gene flow between two populations, leading to reproductive isolation and speciation
What is sympatric speciation? What are the conditions that favor it?
Sympatric speciation occurs when two populations evolve similar traits despite being geographically isolated. It is favored by limited gene flow and high genetic drift.
What is an outgroup in a phylogenetic tree? What is its significance?
The outgroup consists of organisms that are distantly related to the ingroup. Its significance lies in providing a rooting point for the tree.
Who first documented the fact that extinction takes place?
Georges Cuvier
What are Lamark's two principles?
Principle of use and disuse, Principle of inheritance of acquired characteristics
What is uniformitarianism and who advocated it?
Uniformitarianism is the concept that Earth's geological processes occurred over long periods of time. It was advocated by Charles Lyell.
What is the theory of gradualism and who formulated it?
The theory of gradualism states that evolution occurred suddenly. It was formulated by Charles Lyell.
How did medieval people view nature?
Medieval people viewed nature as static and unchanging.
Who is Richard Owen and why is he important?
Richard Owen was a paleontologist who coined the term 'dinosaur' and made significant contributions to the study of fossil reptiles.
What is a fact in scientific inquiry?
A fact is an objective and verifiable observation or piece of evidence.
What two people conceived of the idea of evolution by natural selection?
Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace
Test your knowledge of the history of biological ideas with this quiz. Explore concepts such as idealism, scala naturae, modern taxonomy, paleontology, extinction, gradualism, and evolution mechanisms.
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