Evolution
The gradual change in a species over time
Speciation
When a species becomes separated and evolve, creating two new species that now cannot interbreed
Which groups of vertebrates have limbs?
Mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds
What is the pentadactyl limb?
A limb with five digits
Why do so many organisms have a pentadactyl limb?
They must all share a recent common ancestor
What is adaptive radiation?
The evolution of many diverse species from a common ancestor
What is a homologous structure?
Structures that have adapted from the same common ancestor but are found on different organisms
What is selective breeding?
When animals with the desired characteristics are forced to interbreed, to produce an animal with the desired characteristics
Evidence for evolution
Fossils, homologous structures, embryology, geographical
How do fossils prove evolution?
They show species that no longer exist, and no fossils can be found of species that exist today
Melanistic
Dark varieties of typically light coloured insects
An example of melanism evolution
Biston betalarna (peppered moth)
What happened to the peppered moth?
In unpolluted areas, the peppered moths were well camouflaged against the white lichen, but in more polluted areas, the black ones were more camouflaged. The peppered ones were killed off as the industrial revolution came
Mutation
A random error in gene replication that leads to a change
Sources of variation
Mutation, meiosis and sexual reproduction
How does meiosis cause variation?
The random orientation of bivalents and crossing over means that the alleles are all jumbled up
What happens to acquired characteristics?
They do not get passed on to the offspring
Where did Darwin do his investigation?
The Galapagos islands
What organism did Darwin study?
Finches
What was Darwin's book called?
The Origin of Species
Why did beak size need to change?
In the wet seasons, more hard seeds are grown, and larger beaks are needed to crack them open
What is another example of evolution?
Antibiotic resistant bacteria
Binomial name
Genus and then species
What is a dichotomous key?
Asking questions with a yes or no answer to determine what species you have
Hierarchy of taxa
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
What is classification?
Putting organisms into groups
Artificial classification
A classification based on appearance
Natural classification
A classification based on common ancestors
What are the three domains?
Bacteria, archaeans and eukaryotes
How was it determined that there are three domains?
By looking at ribosomal RNA, which is found in all organisms
Porifera
Sponges
Porifera characteristics
No clear symmetry, Attached to a surface, Pores through the body, No mouth or anus
Cnidaria
Jellyfish, coral
Cnidaria characteristics
Radial symmetry, Tentacles, Stinging cells, Mouth but no anus
Platyhelminths
Flatworms and flukes
Platyhelminths characteristics
Bilaterally symmetrical, Flat bodies, Unsegmented, Mouth but no anus
Annelida
Segmented worms
Annelida characteristics
Bilaterally symmetrical, Bristles often present, Segmented, Mouth and anus
Arthropoda
Insects
Arthropoda characteristics
Bilaterally symmetrical, Exoskeleton, Segmented, Jointed appendages
Mollusca
Snails, clams, squids, octopuses: have a soft body that in many species is protected by a hard shell
Mollusca characteristics
Muscular foot and mantle, Shell usually present, Segmentation not visible, Mouth and anus
Chordata
Vertebrates
Chordata characteristics
Notochord, Dorsal nerve chord, Pharyngeal gill slits, Post anal tail
List some phyla
Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelminths, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Chordata
Characteristics of fish
Scales, Gills with a single gill slit, Fins supported by rays, Swim bladder for buoyancy, External fertilisation
Characteristics of amphibians
Soft moist permeable skin, Lungs with small internal folds, External fertilisation in water, Protective gel around eggs, Larval stage lives in water
Characteristics of reptiles
Dry scaly impermeable skin, Lungs with extensive folding, Internal fertilisation, Soft shells around eggs, One type of teeth
Characteristics of birds
Feathers, Lungs with parabronchial tubes, Wings instead of front legs, Hard shells around the eggs, Beak but no teeth
Characteristics of mammals
Hair, Lungs with alveoli, Give birth to live young, Mammary glands secret milk, Teeth of different types
Bryophytes (mosses) roots, stems and leaves
Simple leaves and stems, no vascular tissue
Bryophytes (mosses) reproductive structures
Spores produced in a capsule, capsule develops at the end of a stalk
Filicinophytes (ferns) roots, stem and leaves
Non-woody stems, leaves curled up in bud and often divided into pairs of leaflets (pinnate), vascular tissue
Pinnate
A leaf vein pattern that looks like a feather. There is one main vein that has smaller veins branching off sideways from it
Filicinophytes (ferns) reproductive
Spores produced in sporangia, usually on the underside of the leaves
Coniferophytes (conifers) roots, stems and leaves
Have roots, woody stems, narrow leaves with thick waxy cuticle, vascular tissue
Coniferophytes (conifers) reproductive
Seeds which develop from ovules on the surface of female cones, male cones produce pollen
Angiospermophytes (flowering plants) roots, stems and leaves
Stems of shrubs and trees are woody, vascular tissue
Angiospermophytes (flowering plants) reproductive
Seeds which develop from ovules inside ovaries in flowers, fruits
Wha is a clade?
A group of organisms that evolved from one common ancestor
Homologous characteristic
Similar in two or more species because they are inherited from a common ancestor
Convergent evolution
Process by which unrelated organisms independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar environments
How can clades be identified?
By looking at the base sequence of a gene
Why can anatomical features not be used to identify a clade?
Because some species have analogous characteristics
Cladogram
Diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms
What is a node?
A branch showing a common ancestor
Cladistics
The method of classifying organisms using clades
Analogous characteristic
Performing a similar function but having a different evolutionary origin, such as the wings of insects and birds.