Broad Patterns in Evolution

Question 1

the broad pattern of evolution above the species level

Answer 1

microevolution

Question 2

How long ago do the oldest fossils date back to?

Answer 2

3.5 billion years

Question 3

Which were the first inhabitants of Earth?

Answer 3

prokaryotes

Question 4

What effect did prokaryotes have on other organisms?

Answer 4

killed them off; released so much oxygen into the atmosphere

Question 5

when a large number of species go extinct worldwide

Answer 5

mass extinction

Question 6

What are the 5 common mass extinctions?

Answer 6

Ordovician/Silurian, Late Devonian, Permian, Triassic/Jurassic, Cretaceous

Question 7

What often followed mass extinctions?

Answer 7

adaptive radiation

Question 8

What were the possible contributing factors that caused of the Permian extinction?

Answer 8

• extreme volcanism
• global warming

Question 9

Approximately ___% of species went extinct during the Permian extinction.

Answer 9

96%

Question 10

During the Cretaceous extinction, half of ____ species and many ____ species went extinct.

Answer 10

marine; terrestrial

Question 11

What were the possible contributing factors that caused of the Cretaceous extinction?

Answer 11

• meteorite impact
• disturbed global climate

Question 12

Is a 6th mass extinction under way?

Answer 12

A 6th, human-caused, mass extinction is likely to occur unless dramatic action is taken.

Question 13

Extinction rates tend to ____ when global temperatures ____.

Answer 13

increase; rise

Question 14

What are the consequence of mass extinction?

Answer 14

• altered geological communities
• shift in available niches
• can pave the way for adaptive radiation
• can take 5-100 million years for diversity to recover

Question 15

the evolution of many diversity adapted species from a common ancestor

Answer 15

adaptive radiation

Question 16

True or False: adaptive radiation can be world-wide or regional

Answer 16

True

Question 17

Adaptive evolution may follow:

Answer 17

• mass extinctions
• evolution of novel characteristics
• colonization of new regions/habitats

Question 18

True or False: major morphological change can result from a change in the genetic basis of development

Answer 18

True

Question 19

evolutionary change in the rate or timing of developmental events

Answer 19

heterochrony

Question 20

What are the affects of heterochrony?

Answer 20

• can have a significant on body shape
• can alter the timing of reproductive development

Question 21

rate of reproductive development accelerates compared with somatic development

Answer 21

paedomorphosis

Question 22

determine spatial pattern of features

Answer 22

homeotic genes

Question 23

a class of homeotic genes that provide positional information during animal embryonic development

Answer 23

Hox genes