Biology - Evidences of Evolution Flashcards

What is evolution?

• Individuals within a species show a wide degree of variation and those individuals with characteristics best suited to the environment are more likely to survive

• Change in population’s inherited traits over generations

What are fossil records?

• Made up of fossils that have been found along with their relative ages

• Fossils can be put in sequential ordering by looking at the patterns of them, which helps understand the history of life on Earth

• Study of the number and placement of fossils within certain types and areas of rock

How do fossil records prove evidence of evolution?

• They provide a record of how creatures evolved by:

  • Evidence of prior organism

  • Characteristic change

  • population change

  • Visualize how some species evolved from others

What are amino acid sequences?

The arrangement of amino acids in a protein which determine the structure and function of the protein.

How do amino acid sequences provide evidence for evolution?

• Comparing how many amino acids are in the same positions on a protein chain can provide an idea of how closely related two species are

  • Similar structure & similar function = similar protein

  • Similar amino acid and sequence order - similar DNA sequence

What are DNA sequences?

The order of the four chemical bases that make up the DNA molecule which tells scientists the kind of genetic information that is carried in a particular DNA segment

How do DNA sequences prove evidence of evolution?

• The sequence comparisons show how different species are related.

• More similarities = more recent common ancestor —> less chance for mutations

• Looking at similarities and differences, demonstrating how different species have diverged from common ancestor

What are homologous structures?

Similar structures that have different functions

For example: Human Arm and Dog Arm

How do homologous structures prove evidence of evolution?

• They are used to infer evolutionary relationships among organisms and see if they came from a common ancestor.

• The more similarly structured, the more recent common ancestor

What are analogous structures?

Similar functions, differently structured; don’t come from common ancestor

For example: Bird Wing and Insect Wing

How do analogous structures prove evidence of evolution?

Shows how different species have adapted to similar environments or challenges in similar ways even though they are not closely related.

What are vestigial structures?

These structures are inherited from an ancestor but the structure lost more or all of its function.

For example: The appendix

How do vestigial structures prove evidence of evolution?

Because the structures used to have specific functions in our ancestors, but are no longer needed to serve the same functions for us, though we still inherit them.

What is embryology?

The study of embryos and their development (also the study of babies and animals)

How does embryology prove evidence of evolution?

• Looks for similarities among organisms, which can support shared common ancestry

• Also it has similarities that are not visible when organisms are full formed, many of these similar features being homologous structures.These features provide evidence that the species are related through evolution