Term
| What three major 'realizations about the natural world' provided the context for Darwin's theory of evolution? |
|
Definition
Three key things were realized by scientists about the Earth and its inhabitants:
1. the Earth is ancient.
2. its surface is very different than it was in the past.
3. plants and animals have changed over time. |
|
|
Term
| What five scientific disciplines did Darwin draw on information to generate his theory? |
|
Definition
Geology
Paleontology
Taxonomy and Systematics
Demography
Evolutionary Biology |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Geology is the study of Earth, especially with regard to its composition, activity, and history. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Paleontology is the study of fossils. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Taxonomy is the classification of past and living life-forms. |
|
|
Term
| What is the study of Systematics? |
|
Definition
| Systematics is the study of biological relationships over time. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Demography is the study of population, especially with regard to birth, survival, and death and the major factors that influence these three key parts of life. |
|
|
Term
| What is Evolutionary Biology? Who founded it? |
|
Definition
| Evolutionary Biology is the study of organisms ad their changes. Darwin founded this discipline. |
|
|
Term
| What is Uniformitarianism? |
|
Definition
It is the idea that the natural processes operating today (in Geology) are the same as natural processes that happened in the past.
I.E: Wind creates erosion. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The idea (according to Paleontology) that areas are re-inhabited by new species after a massive natural disaster. |
|
|
Term
| Briefly describe Carolus Linnaeus's contribution to Taxonomy. |
|
Definition
Carolus Linnaeus developed a system for categorization of species and species type. Binomial nomenclature involved giving each plant and animal a higher-level Genus and a lower-level Species.
IE: Homo-sapiens. |
|
|
Term
| What are the four well-known causes of evolution? |
|
Definition
1. Genetic drift
2. Gene flow
3. Mutation
4. Natural selection |
|
|
