BIOLOGY 152 Exam 1 Actual study set
with Questions and correct/verified
Answers
What two points did Darwin make in The Origin of Species? - ANSWER--Today's organisms descended
from ancestral species
-Natural selection provided mechanism for evolutionary change in populations
What two key philosophers opposed evolution? - ANSWER-Plato and Aristotle
What was the dominant philosophy in the 1700's? - ANSWER-Natural theology
What is natural theology? - ANSWER-Studying nature to understand the mind of God
What did Carolus Linnaeus develop? - ANSWER-Taxonomy
What is taxonomy? - ANSWER-A hierarchical classification system
(binomial nomenclature)--> homo sapien
What are fossils? - ANSWER-Organisms mineralized in sedimentary rock
What is paleontology? - ANSWER-the science of studying fossils
What theory did Georges Cuvier believe in? - ANSWER-catastrophism
What is catastrophism? - ANSWER-A theory that states the Earth was largely influenced by catastrophes.
Floods, droughts etc. wiped whole species out. New species immigrates in from outside of catastropher.
What was catastrophism an explanation for? - ANSWER-The increasing dissimilarity of fossils in the strata
from the current species as you go further back in time
What theory did James Hutton believe in? - ANSWER-gradualism
What is gradualism? - ANSWER-The theory that Earth's features are created by gradual mechanisms such
as wind erosion, water erosion, etc. NOT catastrophes
What theory did Charles Lyell believe in? - ANSWER-uniformitarianism
What is uniformitarianism? - ANSWER-The theory that the same mechanisms are operating today as in
the past and are operating at the same rate
What book did Lyell write? - ANSWER-Principles of Geology
Why was Principles of Geology influential to Darwin? - ANSWER-Lyell states as part of his theory that the
Earth must be much older than 6,000 years ---> Darwin's theory of natural selection needed time for
species to evolve
What mechanism of evolution did Jean Baptiste Lamarch propose? - ANSWER-Use and disuse of parts
Inheritance of acquired characteristics
, What is the theory of use and disuse of parts? - ANSWER-If a species heavily uses a bodily part, it will
become more prominent, disused parts deteriorate during lifetime of individual
Ex: Bodybuilder gets stronger, larger muscles throughout life
What is the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics? - ANSWER-Changes acquired throughout a
species lifetime are inherited by offspring
Ex: Bodybuilder has babies w/ larger muscles, giraffe get longer necks from straining for leaves-->baby
giraffes w/ longer necks
Was Lamarck correct? - ANSWER-lol no but good try phenotypes can't be inherited
Why did Charles Darwin enroll at Cambridge to become a clergyman? - ANSWER-So he could continue
his quiet life of studying insects and pigeons
Why did Darwin join the survey ship Beagle? - ANSWER-As a conversation companion/naturalist to
Captain Robert Fitzroy
Where did Darwin travel on the Beagle that was very influential to his theories - ANSWER-The Galapagos
islands
What did Darwin notice during his journey on the Beagle? - ANSWER-Regional similarities among species
both living and fossils
What is an endemic species? - ANSWER-A species that lives nowhere else in the world
ex: a species found only on the Galapagos islands
What is regional similarity? - ANSWER-A species of a certain climate (temperate) will more closely
resemble nearby species belonging to different climate (arctic, tropical etc.) in the same region than
species of a similar similar climate from a different region Ex: Temperate species of South America
resemble tropic species of South America more so than temperate species of Europe
How did Darwin deduce new species arise? - ANSWER-By adapting to new environments
What are adaptations? - ANSWER-Inherited characteristics of an organism that enhance their survival
and reproduction in specific environments
What example of adaptation was Darwin most impressed with? - ANSWER-Finches
-many modified descendants of ancestors from Ecuador
-changed based upon their food source
When did Darwin write an essay on the origin of species and natural selection? - ANSWER-1844
What did Darwin receive in 1858? - ANSWER-A manuscript from Alfred R. Wallace which had all the
same exact ideas
Why does Darwin get the credit for natural selection? - ANSWER-Published first
Thorough documentation
with Questions and correct/verified
Answers
What two points did Darwin make in The Origin of Species? - ANSWER--Today's organisms descended
from ancestral species
-Natural selection provided mechanism for evolutionary change in populations
What two key philosophers opposed evolution? - ANSWER-Plato and Aristotle
What was the dominant philosophy in the 1700's? - ANSWER-Natural theology
What is natural theology? - ANSWER-Studying nature to understand the mind of God
What did Carolus Linnaeus develop? - ANSWER-Taxonomy
What is taxonomy? - ANSWER-A hierarchical classification system
(binomial nomenclature)--> homo sapien
What are fossils? - ANSWER-Organisms mineralized in sedimentary rock
What is paleontology? - ANSWER-the science of studying fossils
What theory did Georges Cuvier believe in? - ANSWER-catastrophism
What is catastrophism? - ANSWER-A theory that states the Earth was largely influenced by catastrophes.
Floods, droughts etc. wiped whole species out. New species immigrates in from outside of catastropher.
What was catastrophism an explanation for? - ANSWER-The increasing dissimilarity of fossils in the strata
from the current species as you go further back in time
What theory did James Hutton believe in? - ANSWER-gradualism
What is gradualism? - ANSWER-The theory that Earth's features are created by gradual mechanisms such
as wind erosion, water erosion, etc. NOT catastrophes
What theory did Charles Lyell believe in? - ANSWER-uniformitarianism
What is uniformitarianism? - ANSWER-The theory that the same mechanisms are operating today as in
the past and are operating at the same rate
What book did Lyell write? - ANSWER-Principles of Geology
Why was Principles of Geology influential to Darwin? - ANSWER-Lyell states as part of his theory that the
Earth must be much older than 6,000 years ---> Darwin's theory of natural selection needed time for
species to evolve
What mechanism of evolution did Jean Baptiste Lamarch propose? - ANSWER-Use and disuse of parts
Inheritance of acquired characteristics
, What is the theory of use and disuse of parts? - ANSWER-If a species heavily uses a bodily part, it will
become more prominent, disused parts deteriorate during lifetime of individual
Ex: Bodybuilder gets stronger, larger muscles throughout life
What is the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics? - ANSWER-Changes acquired throughout a
species lifetime are inherited by offspring
Ex: Bodybuilder has babies w/ larger muscles, giraffe get longer necks from straining for leaves-->baby
giraffes w/ longer necks
Was Lamarck correct? - ANSWER-lol no but good try phenotypes can't be inherited
Why did Charles Darwin enroll at Cambridge to become a clergyman? - ANSWER-So he could continue
his quiet life of studying insects and pigeons
Why did Darwin join the survey ship Beagle? - ANSWER-As a conversation companion/naturalist to
Captain Robert Fitzroy
Where did Darwin travel on the Beagle that was very influential to his theories - ANSWER-The Galapagos
islands
What did Darwin notice during his journey on the Beagle? - ANSWER-Regional similarities among species
both living and fossils
What is an endemic species? - ANSWER-A species that lives nowhere else in the world
ex: a species found only on the Galapagos islands
What is regional similarity? - ANSWER-A species of a certain climate (temperate) will more closely
resemble nearby species belonging to different climate (arctic, tropical etc.) in the same region than
species of a similar similar climate from a different region Ex: Temperate species of South America
resemble tropic species of South America more so than temperate species of Europe
How did Darwin deduce new species arise? - ANSWER-By adapting to new environments
What are adaptations? - ANSWER-Inherited characteristics of an organism that enhance their survival
and reproduction in specific environments
What example of adaptation was Darwin most impressed with? - ANSWER-Finches
-many modified descendants of ancestors from Ecuador
-changed based upon their food source
When did Darwin write an essay on the origin of species and natural selection? - ANSWER-1844
What did Darwin receive in 1858? - ANSWER-A manuscript from Alfred R. Wallace which had all the
same exact ideas
Why does Darwin get the credit for natural selection? - ANSWER-Published first
Thorough documentation
