Evolution Review

Front

What organism is believed to have significantly increased the oxygen content in early Earth's atmosphere?

Back

Photosynthetic bacteria.

Front

What is expected of two closely related organisms in terms of DNA?

Back

They would have very similar DNA sequences.

Front

What is an example of a fossil?

Back

A trace of an organism that existed in the past.

Front

If an organism has a vestigial structure, what does that imply about its evolutionary history?

Back

That structure likely once had a function in a common ancestor.

Front

What are the remnants of pelvic bones in a whale classified as?

Back

Vestigial structures.

Front

Define homologous structures.

Back

Structures in different species that are similar due to shared ancestry.

Front

What are analogous structures?

Back

Structures that serve similar functions in different species but do not share a common ancestry.

Front

What is the significance of vestigial structures in evolution?

Back

They provide evidence of an organism's evolutionary past and changes over time.

Front

What is the role of natural selection in evolution?

Back

Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Front

What is a common ancestor?

Back

A species from which two or more different species have evolved.