3) Fossils, Extinction, Speciation

What does the fossil record contain?

evidence of the major events in the history of life

What contains evidence of the major events in the history of life?

the fossil record

What does the fossil record show?

a repeating pattern of long periods of stability punctuated by relatively short bursts of evolutionary activity

What shows a repeating pattern of long periods punctuated by relatively short bursts of evolutionary activity?

the fossil record

Analysis of fossils and the rocks that hold them provides what information?

where and when a species lived, and the environmental conditions and other circumstances surrounding major events

What provides the information of where and when a species lived, and the environmental conditions and other circumstances surrounding major events?

analysis of fossils and the rocks that hold them

The fossil record supports what idea?

natural selection can have an effect on evolution over many generations

What supports the idea that natural selection can have an effect on evolution over many generations?

the fossil record

When does co-evolution occur?

when species evolve in response to changes in each other

What occurs when species evolve in response to changes in each other?

co-evolution

What is convergent evolution?

evolution toward similar characteristics in unrelated species

What is evolution toward similar characteristics in unrelated evolution?

convergent evolution

What is divergent evolution?

the evolution toward different directions from a single species

What is the evolution toward different directions from a single species?

divergent evolution

What is extinction?

the elimination from a species from Earth

What is the elimination from a species from Earth?

extinction

What is a mass extinction?

a rare event in which many species throughout the world die

What is a rare event in which many species throughout the world die?

a mass extinction

What the boundaries between major geologic eras defined by?

mass extinction events

What are defined by mass extinction events?

the boundaries between major geologic eras

How many mass extinctions has there been in the last 600 million years?

five

There have been five mass extinctions total for how many years?

600 million

What is the theory of punctuated equilibrium?

evolutionary change occurs in bursts, followed by long periods of stability or stasis

What is states the evolutionary change occurs in bursts, followed by long periods of stability or stasis?

the theory of punctuated equilibrium

What appears sporadically in the fossil record?

extinction and speciation events

Extinction and speciation appears _.

sporadically in the fossil record

Most mass extinctions generally coincided with what?

a major environmental event, such as asteroid impact or continental drift

What generally coincided with a major environmental event, such as an asteroid impact or continental drift?

most mass extinctions

Most mass extinctions are followed by what?

large-scale adaptive radiation

What are followed by large-scale adaptive radiation?

most mass extinction events

What is the rapid diversification of one ancestral species into a wide array of descendant species?

adaptive radiation

What is adaptive radiation?

the rapid diversification of one ancestral species into a wide array of descendant species

What provides unique ecological opportunities for other species to adapt to?

the loss of species through a mass extinction events opens a wide variety of empty niches

The loss of species through a mass extinction events opens a wide variety of empty niches provides what?

unique ecological opportunities for other species to adapt to

Speciation occurs in what?

episodic bursts

What occurs in episodic bursts?

speciation

Major episodes of speciation generally follow what?

the evolution of a novel characteristic, such as feathers, but also occur after mass extinctions

What is the evolution of a novel characteristic, such as feathers, but also occur after mass extinctions?

major episodes of speciation