Science chapter

What is variation?

Any difference between individuals of the same species.

Why are deserts, tar pits, and ice good places to find body fossils?

Bacteria and other decomposers cannot thrive in these environments

In what major way did Darwin's ideas diverge from Lamarck's?

Lamarck thought changes to an individual animal during its lifetime would be passed on to offspring

What was the mission that led Darwin's boat to sea?

Mapping the South American coastline

What can you infer from the fact that fossil fuels are carbon-based?

Most life on earth is made from carbon

What is least likely to be an example of a variation within a species?

Number of limbs

How would the human time scale be different if we measured it in relative, instead of specific, time? Choose the best answer

One week might be longer or shorter than the next

What are the two main differences between an organism with low fitness and one with high fitness?

Organisms with high fitness survive to reproduce and pass their traits to the next generation. Organisms with low fitness are not as well adapted to their environment and may die without reproducing or may not have as many offspring.

How does radiometric dating differ from the ages of the geologic time scale?

Radiometric dating involves absolute dates; the geologic time scale is measured with relative dates

What can you infer about the Maastrichtian Age from its name?

Rocks from this area were first studied near he city of Maastricht, Netherlands

What term would best describe Charles Darwin's decision to sail aboard the HMS Beagle?

Serendipitous

The Galapagos Islands are where Charles Darwin:

Studied unusual animals

What two forces can turn fossils into fossil fuels?

Temperature and pressure

Which variation would be most likely to benefit any organism, regardless of environment?

The ability to produce energy more efficiently.

The beaks of finches found on various Galapagos Islands differed based on:

The available food supply

In the phrase "survival of the fittest," the term "fittest" refers to:

The best-adapted organisms

Which of the following is an example of a body fossil? -A perfect mold of a dinosaur bone -A carbon print left by a leaf -The skull of a mammoth that fell into a tar pit - A dinosaur footprint

The skull of a mammoth that fell into a tar pit

What can you infer from the fact that Darwin studied theology (religion) before dedicating the rest of his life to science?

Theology didn't captivate his mind the same way science did

What can you conclude from the fact that there have been just four eons in Earth's history?

There have been at least eight periods in earth's history

What can you conclude from the fact that so many fossils involve shells, skeletons, and teeth?

These parts decay slower than other body parts.

What is the main purpose of the geologic time scale?

To organize the major eras of Earth's history

What is coevolution?

process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other over time

What causes extinction?

rapid environmental changes, new predators, climate change, disease, and competition with other species

Which of the following terms best describes body fossils? -Rare - Widespread -Made of stone - Mummified

rare

What does a stratigraphist study?

rock layers

Dogs are an example of:

selective breeding

What are homologous structures in animals?

similar structure that related species have inherited from a common ancestor

What is microevolution?

smaller evolutionary changes of allele frequencies within a species or population

What is an example of microevolution?

the different types of finches; different types of finches have different beaks that have changed over time to adapt to what food they eat.

What is a mechanism?

the natural process by which something takes place

What is a fossil?

the preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past

What is natural selection?

the process by which organisms that are bets adapted to their environment are most likely to survive and reproduce

What is competition?

the struggle between organisms to survive as they attempt to use the same limited resources in the same place at the same time

Which of these is an opinion about Darwin? -He waited a long time to publish "On the Origin of Species" - "On the Origin of Species" is a poorly-written book - "On the Origin of Species" was controversial when it was published - "On the Origin of Species" had both critics and supporters

"On the Origin of Species" is a poorly-written book

Which of these numbers is closest to the age of the earth? -4,600 years -460,000 years -46 million years -4.6 billion years

4.6 billion years

What is an inherited trait?

A characteristic determined by an organism's genes

Which of the following is an example of a trace fossil? -A skeleton preserved in a tar pit -A footprint of an extinct animal - A mummy buried in ice -An insect preserved in amber

A footprint of an extinct animal

What is species?

A group of similar organisms that can mate with each other and produce offspring that can also mate and reproduce

Which of the following is an example of an environmental pressure? -The air pressure in the atmosphere -Breeding between two members of the same species - A lake that's gradually running out of water -A fight between two members of the same species

A lake that's gradually running out of water

What event might mark the end of a period?

A major geologic change

What is a common ancestor?

An animal from which two or more different species evolved.

A mold fossil is most similar to:

An eggshell with no egg inside.

Which is the most likely evolutionary response of birds to a food supply of insects living in deep, narrow tunnels?

Birds' beaks get progressively longer and thinner with each generation.

What is evolution?

Change over time; the process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms

Place the following units in order, from smallest to largest. -Epoch, period, eon -Eon, epoch, period -Period, eon, epoch -Epoch, eon, period

Epoch, period, eon

When nature "selects" a variation, that means that the trait:

Gets passed along from generation to generation

On Darwin's tree of life, organisms at the base of a branch:

Give rise to species farther down the branch.

Which of the following statements is true? -Human beings evolved from chimpanzees -Chimpanzees evolved from human beings - Humans and chimpanzees both evolved from a common ancestor -Chimpanzees and humans are not closely related, biologically

Humans and chimpanzees both evolved from a common ancestor

When is a trait most likely to be passed on to the next generation? Choose the best answer. -When it serves no purpose to the organism -When it prevents the organism from finding a mate -When it gives the organism an abundant supply of water -When it becomes an advantage to the organism's survival

When it becomes an advantage to the organism's survival

What is a scientific theory?

a well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results

What is adaptation?

an inherited behavior or physical characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment

What does it mean to have fitness to evolve and adapt?

an organism can easily adapt to their environment by evolving to better survive and thrive in the environment leading onto the organism being able to produce offspring with the superior gene.

What is a mutation?

any change in the DNA of a gene or a chromosome

What is sexual selection?

any type of natural selection that acts on an organism's ability to get the best possible mate

What is it called when you purposefully breed organisms to get a certain trait?

artificial selection

In order to form a fossil, an organism must usually ______ quickly after it dies.

be buried

What is an example of coevolution?

bees and flowers; bees feed on the flowers and in return, the bees spread the pollen to every flower( so more flowers can grow leading to more food for the bee)

What is an example of macroevolution?

gray wolf to dog, bacteria to homosapiens,

What was Charles Darwin's main contribution to science?

he developed the modern theory of evolution

What is fitness?

how well an organism can survive and reproduce in its environment

Although a cast fossil looks like an original bone or shell, how is it different?

its made of rock

What is macroevolution?

major evolutionary change; evolution on a scale that transcends the boundaries of a single species

With advances in DNA research, which two organelles are shown to have evolved through endosymbiosis?

mitochondria and chloroplasts