Chapter 4: Evolution and Biodiversity

How old is the sun?

4.6 billion years old

Which concept did James Hutton discover where current geological processes resemble old ones?

Principle of Uniformitarianism

Which concept did Nicholas Steno find where sedimentary rock layers are older than layers above them?

Law of Superposition

What measures elements emitting particles and energy at a constant rate of half-life?

radiometric dating / carbon dating

What measures damage tracks from U-238 fission?

fission track dating

Fossils are only found in which type of rock?

sedimentary

What is a compilation of fossils from previous times with clues about geologic events and evolution?

fossil record

Name the TEN types of fossils:

mummified, amber, tar bed, frozen, petrified, imprint/cast, coprolite (poop), gastrolith (digestive stones/eggs), index (in particulate rock layer, indication), trace (footprints, burrows)

What is the current epoch called?

anthropocene

Alexander Oparin successfully proved that:

intense energy created organic molecules from inorganic chemicals

What is the change in a population’s genetic makeup over generations, either small or long-term, evolutionary changes?

biological evolution

Name the FOUR processes of microevolution:

DNA mutation, natural selection for surviving organisms, gene flow b/w populations, genetic drift (gene frequency changes in gene pool)

What describes the process of individuals in a population having traits for better survival and more offspring?

natural selection

What is an adaptive trait?

adaptation

____________ ____________ is a factor affecting natural selection taking place.

selective pressure

Name the THREE conditions of natural selection:

natural variability of trait, heredity of trait, trait leading to differential reproduction

Which type of natural selection causes allele frequencies to shift to ONE extreme, removing the other?

directional natural selection

Which type of natural selection causes allele frequencies to shift to the middle of the range with no extremes?

stabilizing natural selection

Which type of natural selection causes allele frequencies to shift to both extremes, with no middle?

diversifying natural selection

What is the process of two species coming from one?

speciation

Name the TWO steps of speciation:

geographic isolation then reproductive isolation

Speciation leads to greater _________ __________

species richness

What describes the number of species in a community?

species richness / species diversity

What describes the relative abundance of organisms in each species?

species evenness

Name the TWO aspects of the theory of island biogeography:

• species diversity based on IR and ER

  • IR and ER are affected by island size and distance from mainland immigrant species

Which species have broad niches and a wide range of tolerance (ex: mice, humans)?

generalist species

Which species have narrow niches and a narrow range of tolerance, so higher extinction chance (ex: spotted owls, giant pandas)?

specialist species

Which species’ presence shows a unique aspect in their ecosystem?

indicator species

Which species has a critical role in sustaining the ecosystem (ex: alligators)?

keystone species

Gould and Eldredge found which modern evolutionary theory stating that evolution occurs with small changes in large time periods and sometimes big changes in small time periods?

punctuated equilibrium

Which modern evolutionary theory states that allele frequencies in a population are constant with occasional disturbances (ex: mutations, genetic drift)?

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

Which modern evolutionary theory is genetic manipulation or breeding by humans leading to new traits or species?

genetic engineering & artificial selection

What percent of all species in Earth’s existence are extinct?

99%

Name FOUR factors affecting speciation and extinction:

large geographic movements, slow (continental drift) and fast (volcano, asteroid) climate changes, human influence

What was the largest mass extinction in Earth’s history?

Permian (killed marine species)

What was the last mass extinction?

Cretaceous (killed dinos)