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Evolution Study Guide
1. What is a theory?
2. What is a hypothesis?
3. Define the following terms:
a. Independent variable
b. Dependent variable
c. Control variable
4. What are the steps taken by a scientist to conduct an experiment (scientific method).
5. What is the difference between a qualitative observation and quantitative observation?
6. What is the definition of Theory of Evolution?
7. Why is the Theory of Evolution a unifying theory in biology?
Lamarck
8. What was Lamarck’s theory?
9. Why was Lamarck’s theory wrong?
10. What are “acquired characteristics”?
11. What evidence did Lamarck use to support his theory?
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Darwin
12. Describes Darwin’s Theory of Descent with Modification?
13. List the four tenants of Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection?
14. Describe each of the four tenants of Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection.
15. What evidence supports Darwin’s theory?
Evidence of Evolution and Patterns
16. What are the six pieces of evidence supporting the Theory of Evolution?
17. What are homologous structures? Give an example.
18. What are analogous structures? Give an example.
19. What are vestigial structures? Give an example.
20. What do homologous and vestigial structures demonstrate about organisms’
relationships?
21. What is comparative embryology?
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22. How does DNA show relationships between organisms?
23. What is convergent evolution? Give an example.
24. What is divergent evolution? Give an example.
25. What must occur in order for a population to diverge (evolve into two separate species)?
26. How can this divergence occur?
27. List and define five agents of change in the Theory of Evolution.
Fossil Record
28. Why does the fossil record act as evidence for evolution?
29. What does Law of Superposition state?
Use the diagram below to answer the following two questions. Locality I and II are two
different locations. Numbers 1-4 and a-d are rock layers in the locations.
30. Which layer will have the simplest organisms according to the Theory of Evolution and
Law of Superposition?
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31. Why do scientists study fossils?
Use the diagram below to answer the following four questions.
32. Which period is the oldest?
33. Which period is the youngest?
34. During what period did organisms presented arrive?
35. What does the thickness of the mark representing the species mean?
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Cladograms
36. What is a cladogram?
37. From the picture, list all the organisms that have jaws.
38. From the picture, which organisms are most closely related to the mouse?
39. What do cladograms tell us about relationships between organisms?
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