Regents Review: Evolution
Define the following:
Adaptive Value – any trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a
given set of environmental conditions
Evolution – the process by which species have changed over time
Extinction – the disappearance of all members of a species from Earth
Fossil Record – a collection of fossils used to represent Earth’s history
Genetic Variation – the normal differences found among offspring
Geologic Time – Earth’s history as revealed by layers of rock
Mutation – any alteration in the sequence of DNA
Natural Selection – the process by which organisms that are best adapted to a
specific environment survive and produce more offspring than
organisms that are not as well adapted
Overproduction – the potential for a species to increase its numbers beyond the
area’s carrying capacity
Theory – an explanation, supported by many observations and/or experiments that
can be used to accurately explain related occurrences
Who is Charles Darwin?
Scientist who collected specimens of various species while touring South America on the HMS Beagle. Developed the theory of natural selection.
Describe Darwin’s theory of evolution:
Theory of natural selection. Gradual change of a species over time due to environmental influences which cause speciation (creation of new species from an existing species)
What were other theories of evolution?
Linnaeus – hybridization of species
Lamark – “use/disuse” theory (ex. giraffe necks)
What type of evidence supports Darwin’s ideas?
Fossil record, comparative anatomy, comparative embryology, comparative biochemistry, geographic distribution
What were Darwin’s four major principles for a species change over time?
- Variation
- Heritability
- Over-reproduction
- Descent with modification
What is an adaptation? List some examples:
Adaptation – feature that allows an organism to better survive in its environment, leading to genetic changes over time (Ex. camouflage, mimicry, antibiotic resistance)
What is reproductive fitness? What does it mean to be “fit?”
Capacity of an individual to reproduce and pass on its genes. To be “fit” means you reproduce successfully and produce many offspring.
What influences does the environment have on evolution?
Climate, food availability, physical characteristics of the environment (color, layout, etc.), ecological relationships (predation, mutualism, etc)
Describe the two types of genetic drift:
1. Founder effect – small part of the population settles in a new location (increases biodiversity)
2. Bottleneck – event occurs drastically cutting the population down to very small numbers (decreases biodiversity, increases chances of inbreeding)
Describe the patterns of evolution and give an example for each:
- Adaptive radiation – diversification of species into a number of different species, often over a relatively short time span (ex. guppies in Lake Victoria)
- Coevolution – species in a close relationship with each other evolve together (evolution of one species affects the evolution of another) (ex. orchids which look like wasps to attract them to mate with the leaves in order to pollinate the flower)
- Convergent evolution – unrelated species evolve similar traits but live in different parts of the world (ex. panda versus a chickadee)
What are the two theories about the rate of evolution? Draw and describe each below:
- Gradualism – theory that evolution occurs in small, gradual steps over time
- Punctuated Equilibrium – theory that evolution occurs with relatively sudden periods of speciation followed by long periods of stability
Practice Regents Questions
The evolutionary pathways of five species are represented in the diagram below.
Which statement is supported by the diagram?
(1) Species C is the ancestor of species
B.
(2) Species D and E evolved from
species B.
(3) Species X evolved later than species
D but before species B.
(4) Both species C and species D are
related to species X.
The diagram below illustrates possible evolutionary pathways of some species.
Which statement is a valid inference based on the information in the diagram?
(1) Species A is the common ancestor of
all life on Earth.
(2) Species D is more closely related to
species E than to species F.
(3) Species B is the ancestor of species
F.
(4) Species C is the ancestor of species
That exist at the present time
Which concept is best illustrated in the flowchart below?
(1) natural selection(3) dynamic equilibrium
(2) genetic manipulation (4) material cycles
Base your answers on the diagram below, which represents possible relationships
between animals in the family tree of the modern horse, and on your knowledge of biology.
One possible conclusion that can be drawn regarding ancestral horses A and B is that
(1) A was better adapted to changes that occurred during the Pliocene Epoch than was B
(2) the areas that B migrated to contained fewer varieties of producers than did the areas
that A migrated to
(3) competition between A and B led to the extinction of Pliohippus
(4) the adaptive characteristics present in both A and B were insufficient for survival
Miohippus has been classified as a browser (an animal that feeds on shrubs and trees) while Merychippus has been classified as a grazer (an animal that feeds on grasses). One valid inference that can be made regarding the evolution of modern horses based on this information is that
(1) Eohippus inhabited grassland areas throughout the world
(2) Pliohippus had teeth adapted for grazing
(3) Equus evolved as a result of the migration of Pliohippus into forested areas due to
increased competition
(4) ecological succession led to changes in tooth structure during the Eocene Epoch