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Evolution
Concept that species change over time.
Main Points of Evolution
Species characteristics change over time, linked to mutational changes within the gene pool.
Natural Selection
‘Mother Nature’ selects traits that are best relative to the environment at the time.
Old Earth Theory
The belief that the Earth is very old due to the vast changes in species over time.
DeVignoles
Estimated the Earth to be approximately 5800 years old based on biblical and ancient references.
Bishop James Ussher
Declared the Earth to be 6000 years old based on biblical calculations.
John Lightfoot
Claimed God created the Earth on October 23, 4004 B.C. at 9:00 a.m.
Relative Dating
Determining the relative age of materials by comparing their positions.
Law of Superposition
In layers of rocks, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest at the top.
Absolute Dating
Method that attempts to determine the true age of a material, usually involving radioactive dating.
Radioactive Decay
Process by which radioactive isotopes release energy at a steady rate until they transform into a different element.
Half-Life
The time required for half of the original quantity of a radioactive isotope to decay.
Oldest Rocks
Zircons in western Australia, dating to approximately 4.4 billion years old.
Meteorites
Rocks from space that consistently date to approximately 4.6 billion years old.
Carbon-14 Dating
Method of dating fossils by studying the decay of Carbon-14.
Uranium-Lead (U-Pb)
A radioisotope used to date rocks older than Carbon-14's effective range.
Potassium-Argon (K-Ar)
A dating method used for rocks older than 100,000 years.
The Coacervate Theory
Theory proposed by Oparin about Earth's early atmosphere contributing to the origin of life.
Organic Soup
The mixture of molecules within early oceans where life is believed to have originated.
Evidence to Support Evolution
Fossil record demonstrates a progression in diversity and complexity over 3.5 billion years.
Vestigial Organs
Structures within species that have no apparent function today.
Homologous Organs
Organs with similar anatomical forms that differ in function.
Analogous Organs
Organs serving similar functions but differing in structure.
Genetic and Biochemical Similarity
DNA analysis allows comparisons among species showing biochemical similarities.
Early Development Similarity
Related species show similarities in early embryonic development.
Lamarck’s Theory of Evolution
Three sub-theories: Need, Use/Disuse, and Acquiring Traits.
Theory of Need
Organisms change based on needs created by environmental pressures.
Theory of Use/Disuse
Traits can be altered through behavioral influences.
Theory of Acquiring Traits
Altered traits can be inherited by offspring.
Alfred Russel Wallace
Naturalist whose observations led to thoughts on evolutionary theory parallel to Darwin.
Charles Darwin
Published 'On the Origin of Species', detailing evolution by natural selection.
Darwin’s Major Points
Overproduction, Variation, Struggle for Survival, and Natural Selection.
Scopes Trial
John Scopes was tried for teaching evolution, raising questions about First Amendment rights.
Punctuated Equilibrium
Theory explaining long periods of stability interrupted by rapid changes.
Mutation
Introduces inheritable genetic variations into a population.
Migration
Movement of individuals that alters gene pools.
Isolation
Separation affecting evolutionary trajectories.
Divergent Evolution
One species evolves into multiple forms showing homologous characteristics.
Convergent Evolution
Unrelated species adapt similar traits through environmental needs.
Microevolution
Small-scale evolutionary changes occurring within a species.
Macroevolution
Large-scale evolutionary changes that occur over long time periods.
Speciation
The process by which new species arise from existing species.
Adaptive Radiation
The rapid evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor.
Coevolution
The process where two or more species influence each other's evolutionary pathway.
Genetic Drift
Random changes in allele frequencies within a population.
