Study guide on evolution

1.The origin and meaning of the word evolution

Understand the basic definitions such as: fact, law, hypothesis, theory.

2. You should be able to tell why people thought that genesis could not explain the fossil record. What kind of questions have emerged during the 17th and 18th century and why?

3. What kind of ideas of George Buffon and Carl Linneaus helped to develop the theory of evolution? (concept of species; adaptation; inheritance)

4. Know about George Cuvier and his work

5.. How about Erasmus Darwin? (ontogeny; adaptation to the environment through getting food and security)

5. Lamarck; What did he give to the theory of evolution? (Be sure that you know, that he was the first using Biology)

6. Finally Charles Darwin; Know something about his life! How did he get to go to Galapagos Islands? How did he realized the Natural selection? Be sure to know what kind of observations did he make? Why did he think that the population of different species are stable?

8. Be able to write all the evidence of evolution (from 1- to 6.), with explanation

(Branching organization of life; Homology; Vestigial structures; Embryonic history; Biogeography, fossil record). Be sure to know it!

8. You should know the modern synthesis of evolution: basic Genetics; Mendel’s work with pea flowers; genes and chromosomes.

9. The mechanism of evolution: Micro, Macro evolution

10. Know the mechanism of microevolution: 5 Mechanism:

•      Mutation

•      Migration

•      Genetic drift

•      Non-random mating

•      Natural selection

11. Know the mechanisms of macro evolution:

        1. Extinction

            2. Adaptive radiation (Divergent evolution)

            3. Convergent evolution

            4. Coevolution

            5. Gradualizm, Punctuated equilibrium

            6. Changes in developmental genes