Evolution Unit Study Guide
Name ___________________
Evolution Unit – PART 1 Key Terms and Concepts
You should be able to define/discuss the topics listed below
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Earth’s age
How to determine age of fossils
Relative Dating vs Absolute Dating
Endosymbiosis theory
Lamarck’s Theory and why it was incorrect
Acquired trait
Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection
The Origin of Species
Populations
Variation
Competition
Struggle for existence
Survival of the fittest
adaptation
natural selection
artificial selection
selective breeding
directional selection
stabilizing selection
disruptive selection
Know and be able to identify all 3 natural selection graphs
evidence of evolution
homologous structures
analogous structures- due to convergent evolution (like streamlined shape of dolphin and shark)
vestigial structures
Fossil record
Comparative embryology
Observation of species change - provide examples and why those show evolutionary change
Biochemistry and DNA -- how does this verify that organisms are related?
Evolution Unit PART 2 Key Terms and Concepts
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Population
Species
Gene pool
The 5 Requirements for Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium and why this represents a fictional example of a population
How natural selection can cause evolution
How genetic drift can cause evolution
Gene Flow
How Gene Flow can cause evolution
How mutations can cause evolution
Speciation
Isolation
Geographic isolation
Phylogenetic tree
cladogram
1. If you found two fossils in two different layers of sedimentary rock stacked on each other? How would you know
which one is older? How can you know for sure? Would you be using relative or absolute dating?
2. What is the endosymbiotic theory? Draw a picture to represent this theory.
3. What evidence do scientists have to support that mitochondria and chloroplasts were originally prokaryotes?
4. The slow, gradual change in a species is called:
5. What was Lamarck’s Theory and why was he incorrect? What did he call the traits gained in a lifetime?
6. What is Artificial Selection? Give an example. What is another word for artificial selection?
7. What is natural selection? Who proposed Evolution through natural selection?
8. Give an example of natural selection in action.
9. Why might one variation have a selective advantage over another variation?
10. How does competition lead to the struggle for existence? Give an example.
11. What is an adaptation?
12. What is fitness? How do adaptations lead to fitness?
13. What is meant by the survival of the fittest?
14. How are natural selection, adaptation and fitness all interrelated? Use all 3 words in a collective sentence.
15. What is stabilizing selection? Draw a graph and give an example.
16. What is disruptive selection? Draw a graph and give an example.
17. What is directional selection? Draw a graph and give an example.
18. What are Homologous structures?
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What evidence do these similar structures provide in support of evolution?
19. What are vestigial organs? Give at least 3 examples.
How do these structures provide support of evolution?
20. What is convergent evolution? Give an example
21. What are the major driving forces or causes behind evolution? (Hint: more than one)
22. What is divergent evolution? Give an example.
What is another name for divergent evolution?
23. What is convergent evolution? Give an example.
24. What is coevolution? Give an example.
25. What species of animal did Darwin focus a lot of his attention on in the Galapagos?
26. Adaptive radiation is associated with what other type of evolution?
27. Explain how homologous structures support the idea of divergent evolution
28. How do the words Population and Species relate?
29. What is a gene pool? How did your breeding bunny lab model gene pool?
30. Why is the Hardy Weinberg Principle not likely to occur in real life?
31. How can natural selection cause evolution?
32. What is genetic drift and how can it cause evolution?
33. What are the two types of genetic drift?
34. What is meant by Gene Flow?
35. How can Gene Flow cause microevolution?
36. What is a mutation? How can mutations cause evolution?
37. What is speciation? Give an example.
38. How can geographic isolation lead to new species?
39. The following animals in the diagram below are
unrelated but have similar adaptations; this would be an
example of what type of evolution.
40. The following animals in the diagram below came from a common ancestor; this would be an example of what
type of evolution?
41. What fossil is the oldest?
42. What key concept of evolution is represented in the
diagram to the right showing the same bones present
in unrelated species?
These organisms would have a ______________
ancestor.
43. What type of selection is represented by the graphs below?
Graph A = __________________
Graph B = _________________
Graph C = ____________________
Using evidence of evolution notes, please answer the following questions using the choices provided. May use some
more than once.
A. Homologous Structure
B. Analogous Structure
C. Vestigial Structure
D. Molecular/Biochemical Evidence
E. Fossil Evidence
F. Embryological Evidence
44. In the earliest stages of development, a tail and gill slits can be seen in rabbits, fish, birds and humans. _______
45. Exemplified by forelimbs of bats, penguins, lizards, and monkeys. _________
46. The forelimbs of flightless birds – these birds can no longer fly. ___________
47. DNA and RNA comparisons show organisms are closely related __________
48. Bird and Butterfly wings have same function but different structures. ___________
49. A body structure no longer used but may have had a function in an early ancestor. ___________
50. Structure associated with divergent evolution. ________________
51. Structure associated with convergent evolution. _______________