Lecture 2-Darwinian Evolution

What evidence supports the concept of descent with modification in evolution?

Species accumulate differences from their ancestors as they adapt to different environments over many generations.

What is Darwin's key phrase that summarizes the process of evolution?

Descent with modification.

Who developed the nested classification system for naming species?

Carolus Linnaeus.

What concept did Charles Lyell contribute to evolutionary thought?

Principles of Geology, which stated Earth's surface was shaped by slow actions over time.

What is natural selection?

A process in which individuals with certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates due to those traits.

What were the two key principles proposed by Lamarck about evolution?

Use and disuse; and inheritance of acquired characteristics.

What does the fossil record provide evidence for?

The extinction of species, the origin of new groups, and changes within groups over time.

What is meant by homology in evolutionary biology?

Similarity resulting from common ancestry, including anatomical and molecular similarities.

What is an example of convergent evolution?

The evolution of similar traits in distantly related groups due to independent adaptation.

How does biogeography support the theory of evolution?

It studies the geographic distribution of species and is influenced by continental drift.

What did Darwin observe about species while on the HMS Beagle?

Fossils resembled living species from the same area, showing connections between past and present species.

What is the significance of vestigial structures?

They are remnants of features that served a function in an organism's ancestors, providing evidence for evolution.

What did Darwin infer from his first observation about population variation?

Individuals with inherited traits that increase survival and reproduction in an environment tend to produce more offspring.

What does the term 'scala naturae' refer to?

A scale of increasing complexity for species, proposed by Aristotle.

What type of evidence shows evolution through artificial selection?

Changes in genetic structure of populations due to selective breeding by humans.

Why is the theory of evolution by natural selection considered a theory?

It accounts for many observations, integrates diverse areas of study, and prompts new research questions.

How can evolutionary trees help in understanding relationships among organisms?

They reflect hypotheses about relationships, showing nested patterns of homology and common ancestry.