Chapter 13: Evidence of Evolution

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary related to the evidence of evolution, including concepts from the fossil record, geological events, anatomical comparisons, developmental patterns, and molecular biology, as presented in the lecture notes.

Geologic timescale

A system used by scientists to divide the history of the Earth into eons and eras, based on evidence of biological and geographical events.

Paleontology

The study of fossil remains or other clues to past life.

Fossils

The remains of ancient organisms, providing original evidence for evolution.

Fossilization

The process by which an organism's remains become preserved in rock, requiring specific conditions like quick burial and absence of oxygen to minimize decomposition.

Relative dating

A method of dating fossils that assumes lower rock layers have older fossils than newer layers, providing indirect and less precise but valuable information.

Absolute dating

A direct method to date a fossil itself, often using radiometric dating.

Radiometric dating

A method of absolute dating that measures the amount of a radioactive isotope (e.g., 14C) in a fossil to calculate how long ago the organism died.

Carbon isotopic signatures

Chemical markers used to infer the diets of extinct species.

Biogeography

The study of species' geographical locations and how Earth's geography has shaped evolution.

Theory of plate tectonics

The theory that forces acting deep within the planet move Earth’s land masses, explaining continental drift.

Pangaea

A single large landmass that Earth's continents were arranged into around 200 million years ago, as indicated by the location of fossil species.

Wallace’s line

A biogeographical boundary where animals on either side have been separated for millions of years, leading to independent evolution and unique varieties of organisms.

Homologous structures

Anatomical features in different species that are similar because they were inherited from a common ancestor, suggesting a shared bone configuration.

Vestigial structure

A structure homologous to a functional structure in another species, but which has lost its original function (e.g., vestigial eyes in blind moles).

Analogous structures

Anatomical structures that are superficially similar and perform the same function but did not derive from a common ancestor.

Convergent evolution

The process by which analogous structures evolve independently in organisms that do not share the same lineage, resulting in similar features due to similar environmental pressures.

Developmental homology

Similarities in embryonic development patterns between different species, revealing evolutionary relationships that may be less obvious in adult forms.

Molecular homology

Similarities in DNA and protein sequences between different species, indicating common ancestry and evolutionary relationships.

Molecular clocks

A concept based on the idea that DNA accumulates random mutations at a regular rate, allowing scientists to estimate the time since two species diverged from a common ancestor based on the number of accumulated mutations.