Evolution: Patterns & Evidence Practice Flashcard

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What is the Fossil Record?

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The Fossil Record is a historical archive of biological remains preserved in sedimentary rock, providing evidence of past life forms and their evolution.

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What type of evidence is Biochemistry in the context of evolution?

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Biochemistry refers to the study of the chemical processes and substances in living organisms, used to compare DNA and proteins to determine evolutionary relationships.

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Define Adaptive Radiation.

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Adaptive Radiation is the process by which a single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments.

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What does Paleontology study?

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Paleontology is the scientific study of the history of life on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils.

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What is the significance of a common ancestor in evolution?

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A common ancestor indicates that different species share a lineage, suggesting they evolved from a single species over time.

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Explain Divergent Evolution.

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Divergent Evolution occurs when two or more related species become more dissimilar over time, often due to different environmental pressures.

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What is Convergent Evolution?

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Convergent Evolution is the process where unrelated species develop similar traits or adaptations due to similar environmental challenges.

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What is Biogeography?

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Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.

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What role does Embryology play in understanding evolution?

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Embryology studies the development of embryos, revealing similarities in early stages of development among different species, indicating common ancestry.

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What is the importance of the fossil record in understanding evolution?

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The fossil record provides evidence of how organisms have changed over time, showing the types of organisms that lived in the past and their evolutionary relationships.