Evolution 5-Evidence of Evolution
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What are the lines of evidence that support Darwin’s Theory?
• Fossil records • Artificial Selection • Anatomical Evidence • Genetic Evidence
How are fossil records a line of evidence that support Darwin’s Theory?
• Layers of sedimentary rock contain fossils. 1. New layers cover older ones, creating a record over time. 2. Fossils within layers show that a succession of organisms have populated Earth throughout a long period of time
Fossils Definition
Any preserved remains or traces of an organism or its activity; many fossils are of such hardened body parts as bone
Fossilization Definition
The process by which traces of past organisms become part of sedimentary rock layers or, more rarely, hardened tar pits, volcanic ash, peat bogs, or amber.
Paleontology Definition
The scientific study of fossil remains; Paleao = old/primitive; onto = of being; logy = the study of
Fossil Record Definition
A record showing us that today’s organisms descended from ancestral species
What are some of the evolutionary changes in horses?
• An increase in size • A loss of toes • An increase in size of molars
Fossils and Dates-What is one technique used to date rocks?
One technique used to date rocks is radiometric dating.
Radiometric Dating Definition
A technique used to date rocks, usually based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay products, using known decay rates.
How have birds evolved?
-From Archaeopteryx, which lived about 150 million years ago, and links reptiles & birds.
How have land animals evolved?
• In 2006, there was a Fossil Discovery of an Early Tetrapod. -This tetrapod was called the “Tiktaalik” -It was considered the “missing link” from sea to land animals: from swimming (0 legs) to walking (4 legs).
What is involved in Artificial Selection?
Humans “improving” domesticated plant and animal species for thousands of years of selection
Artificial Selection Meaning and Examples
• Selecting offspring with desirable traits as breeding stock for succeeding generations. -For example: 1. Farm animals 2. Cats, and dogs 3. Flowering plants 4. Crops
Selective Breeding Definition
The process of breeding plants and animals for desirable traits.
What are Homologous Features? What are examples?
• Structures that share a common origin/ancestry but may serve different functions in modern species -E.g. dolphin flippers and human hands
What are Analogous Features? What are examples?
-Structures similar in function but not in origin or anatomical structure -E.g. wings of birds and bees, or the eyes of lobsters and fish
What is the meaning of Comparative Embryology?
When there is similar embryological development in closely related species.
What similarities do all vertebrate embryos have with each other?
All vertebrate embryos have similar structures at different stages of development.
What is an example of a structure that all vertebrate embryos have?
A gill pouch; they can be found in the embryos of fish, frogs, snakes, birds, humans, etc.
What is an example of Convergent Evolution?
• Fish are aquatic vertebrates. - Dolphins are aquatic mammals. • They have similar adaptations to life in the sea, but are not closely related.
Convergent/Parallel Evolution Definition
Describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages
Convergent/Parallel Evolution Example/What leads to the natural selection of similar traits?
Similar environments & niches lead to natural selection of similar traits.
What has there been on different continents?
On different continents, there has been evolution of similar looking species that fill similar niches.
What is Convergent/Parallel Evolution responsible for?
It is responsible for analogous structures.