L3: Organic Evolution

Question 1

what is the meaning of hominid?

Answer 1

all the species that form the genus we belong to, not just homo sapiens

Question 2

when was the Cambrian Explosion?

Answer 2

around 500 million years ago

Question 3

what was the Cambrian Explosion?

Answer 3

sudden appearance of multicellular organisms

Question 4

what kind of event was the Cambrian explosion?

Answer 4

a radiation event

Question 5

when did Darwin publish ‘The Origin of species’?

Answer 5

1859

Question 6

what impact does an abundance of resources have on evolutionary pressure?

Answer 6

it reduces it

Question 7

what are the premises for the argument of evolution?

Answer 7

1. more individuals produced than can survive,
2. struggle for existence because of disparity between individuals produced vs the number that can survive,
3. individuals show variation and natural selection takes place,
4. varieties produce similar offspring so those varieties become more abundant in subsequent generations,

Question 8

what is the process of natural selection?

Answer 8

individuals with advantageous features have a greater chance of survival in the struggle

Question 9

what is the principle of inheritance?

Answer 9

selected varieties tend to produce similar offspring

Question 10

what is the principle of uniformitarianism?

Answer 10

the operations of nature are consistent, slow and not goal directed. natural processes operating today, were alos operating in the past

Question 11

what was the principle that preceded uniformitarianism?

Answer 11

the idea that the Earth was formed in one constant event- derived from a biblical narrative. realised the earth was much older than initially assumed.

Question 12

what was the predicted time that the earth formed from the biblical narrative?

Answer 12

4004 BC

Question 13

when did people start moving away from the biblical narrative of earths formation?

Answer 13

late 1700’s and early 1800’s

Question 14

what are the names for the two models of evolution (phylogenetic trees)?

Answer 14

gradualistic and punctuated equillibrium

Question 15

who presented the gradualistic model of evolution?

Answer 15

Darwin

Question 16

when did people start to question the speed that natural selection takes place?

Answer 16

1960’s

Question 17

what is another name given to evolution models?

Answer 17

phylogenetic trees

Question 18

who presented the punctuated equilibrium model of evolution?

Answer 18

Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldridge

Question 19

what is the main idea behind the punctuated equilibrium model of evolution?

Answer 19

species don’t change for thousands of years until you get a sudden divergence. you have equilibrium for a long period of time until it becomes punctuated by a rapid flow of evolutionary change