HUME 105 Exam

Flashcards covering the key concepts from the lecture notes on the beginnings of the Earth and theories of evolution.

Judeo-Christian Story

Teaching that God created man in His own image, with dates estimated by figures like James Usher at 4004 BC.

Creationism

Belief that the earth was created by an all-powerful being, contrasting with scientific explanations of the earth's origin.

Catastrophe Theory

The idea proposed by Baron Georges Cuvier that the fossil record is a result of a series of catastrophic events followed by periods of calm.

Uniformitarianism

James Hutton's concept that the earth's features were shaped by the same processes still in operation today.

Natural Selection

Charles Darwin's principle that organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Lamarckism

The theory that organisms can pass on characteristics acquired during their lifetime to their offspring.

Abiogenesis

The theory that life could arise from non-living matter, as proposed in early scientific inquiries.

Big Bang Theory

The cosmological model describing the universe's expansion from a singularity around 13.7 billion years ago.

Geologic Time Scale

A system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time.

Biological Diversity

The variety of life forms within a given ecosystem, which is crucial for the functionality of ecological systems.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits provided by ecosystems, including food, clean water, and natural hazards protection.

Chemical Factors in Ecosystems

Elements that impact the living conditions in ecosystems, such as the supply of water, air, and soil nutrients.

Biodiversity

The variety of species within a habitat, important for ecosystem resilience and function.

Coevolution

The process in which two or more species influence each other’s evolution.

Environmental Determinism

The theory that the physical environment predisposes human social development.

Cultural Ecology

The study of how human culture interacts with the physical environment.

Heterosis

The phenomenon where crossbred offspring exhibit superior qualities compared to both parents.

Pangaea

The supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras before breaking apart.

Natural Selection

Darwin's theory that those organisms best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Speciation

The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.