Biology II Unit III Study Guide 1 Discuss the following various views people held about life s diversity how it arose and the age of the earth old young before evolution was suggested a Essentialism Idealism Plato Aristotle states all species to be unchanging throughout time God created all things all things have a constant perfect essence an ideal form Variation is an imperfect reflection of the inner essence They didn t believe evolution occurred i e species don t change no new species b Natural theology Carolus Linnaeus the study of nature to better understand God s plan Species divinely created as perfect all at the same time 6000 yrs ago Biblical creation Linnaeus created the binomial nomenclature kingdom phylum class order family genus species c Catastrophism Georges Cuvier believed in a relatively young age for the earth The fossil record reflects extinctions due to sporadic catastrophes i e no evolution The problem with the fossil record is that not everything fossilizes d Uniformitarianism Charles Lyell grew out of gradualism States that mechanisms of geologic change are constant over time The same processes are operating today as in the past Therefore the earth must be very old to have accumulated all the changes evident in the geological record Charles Lyell wrote The Principles of Geology which influence Darwin 2 a What is the biological meaning of the term evolution Darwin called it Descent with modification The idea that living species are descendants of ancestral species that were different from the present day ones The change in genetic composition of a population from generation to generation Species change over time and new species arise by the modification of the earlier species b Contrast microevolution with macroevolution Microevolution the gradual evolution of traits within a population of a species over time e g within a population of a finch species see slight variations in beak size shape over time No debate Macroevolution the evolution of an entirely new species Debate between scientists and creationists 3 Describe explain how each of the following served as evidence at the time of Darwin that evolution could be a means by which life s diversity arose a Artificial selection selective breeding new species created from common ancestor wild mustard via selective breeding by humans Different breeds of dogs have arisen by artificial selection but are still the same species Canis familaris This is evidence of microevolution b Comparative anatomy comparing the anatomy of different organisms s modification from a common ancestor Comparative anatomists suggest hat similar species could be descended from common ancestor upports the idea of descent with Ex The forelimbs of different vertebrates are homologous structures may have different purpose but reflect a share ancestry human cat and whale c Geology the science comprising the study of solid Earth the rocks of which it is composed and the processes by which it evolves Geologic features arise by slow gradual processes over long periods of time geologic gradualism James Hutton The Earth must be very old to have accumulated all the changes evident in the geologic record uniformitarianism Charles Lyell d Biogeography the study of geographical distribution of organisms d Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms evolution and interactions with each other and their environments The science became established in the 18th century as a result of Georges Cuvier s work on comparative anatomy Paleontology seeks to map out how living things have changed through time Fossil evidence reveals mostly macro evolutionary changes over time e Comparative embryology compares and contrasts embryos of different species Placental mammals suggest convergent evolution when diff species evolve to look similar not because of common ancestry but b c they have similar adaptations in response to living in similar environments Early embryos of diverse but related groups share many features As development proceeds embryonic forms diverge and become more similar to adults of their own species Von Baer s Law 4 a How can molecular biology provide evidence for evolution Evidence from molecular biology b Provide two examples Protein and DNA sequence comparisons The more recently two species shared a common ancestor the more similar the proteins and DNA Phylogeny the evolutionary history of living things based on varying degrees of similarity of DNA sequences of a particular gene 1 The GULO gene L gulonolactone oxidase is a gene that in most mammals expresses a protein that essentially synthesizes ascorbic acid In humans this gene is non functioning and it is non functioning in the same manner in most old world monkeys Common ancestry explains this defect quite simply 2 Cytochrome C gene is an essential and ubiquitous protein found in all organisms 5 Distinguish between these 3 structures providing at least ONE EXAMPLE of each a Homologous structures ones with a common evolutionary origin but whose functions may have changed adapted over time ex The forelimbs of different vertebrates b Analogous structures appear similar b c used for similar function but they evolved independently NOT b c of a shared ancestry ex The insect wing and a birds wing c Vestigial structures remnants of once functional ancestral structures Rudimentary structures ex The human appendix b c we became more omnivorous 6 a What did Darwin find intriguing about the finches on the Galapagos Islands He was puzzled by all the different species of finch 14 different kind each adapted to suit the conditions of their various islands b Explain why how the Galapagos finches might have helped Darwin formulate his hypothesis of evolution by natural selection He saw a correlation b w LOCATION and SIMILARITY this suggested a common ancestry Darwin became convinced that species evolved and adapted to their environment but he still needed a mechanism to explain how the species could change in this way 7 a Describe the process by which populations evolve via natural selection 1 Within a population more offspring are produced than can survive to reproduce This leads to competition for limited resources and a struggle for existence 2 Random variation exists in all organisms and much of this variation is heritable i e genetic 3 Some of this variation affects an individual s ability to survive reproduce i e who survives to reproduce is not
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