Geology 001B West Valley College

Historical Geology R. Lopez

Study Questions: Darwin and Natural Selection (Chapter 7 p. 181-205)

  1. Define Evolution and how it relates to Adaptations.
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  3. Know what adaptations are and be able to give some examples.
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  5. Darwin invented evolution. True or False?
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  7. What was Charles Darwin’s contribution to the Theory of Evolution?
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  9. Name the three components of the Theory of Natural Selection.
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  11. Recall "advantage traits are selected by nature".
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  13. Write out the formula for Natural Selection and define each of the variables.
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  15. Nature is defined as what?
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  17. What was J.B. Lamarch (1809) hypothesis of inheritance of acquired characteristics (the long necks in giraffes).
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  19. Read Box 7-1, page 196. What two factors in species traits contribute to mass Extinctions? In the modern era, the largest number of Extinctions are related to what human cause??
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  21. What was Darwin’s limitation in really pushing through his hypothesis of natural selection?
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  23. What are chromosomes, DNA, and genes?
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  25. What contribution to Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection did Gregor Mendel (1860’s) make? What are alleles and what is particular inheritance?
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  27. Is it correct to say "survival of the fittest"?
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  29. Besides variations in traits (genetic make-up) of the offspring, what other source of variation can result in a change in the characteristics of the organism?
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  31. What are mutations? Use and example of a mutation that may alter an organism for beneficial, neutral, or harmful traits.
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  33. What is Allopatric Speciation? (Think about the Galapagos – see page 187.)
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  35. Define and graph both Phyletic Gradualism and Punctuated Equilibrium. What are some of the arguments for both of these modes of Evolutionary Rates?
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  37. Give some examples of evolutionary trends. Is this a positive criterion for Phyleticc Gradualism?
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  39. Origination and Radiation of New Species may take three independent paths. What are these?
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  41. Give examples of all three Radiation of New Species using organisms discussed in lecture or in your text.
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  43. What occurs during the extinction of species?
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  45. In terms of extinction rates, do mammal species or marine species have a longer average time span of existence for that particular species?
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  47. What are mass Extinctions.
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  49. Which was a more devastating mass extinction, the terminal Cretaceous-Tertiary or terminal Permian-Triassic?