Chapter 6

____________________ – is a group of organisms that share similar characteristics and can reproduce among themselves to produce fertile offspring (can have kids that can have kids).

 ____________________ is the changes in inherited characteristics over time.

 In 1809, ____________________ proposed that characteristics acquired in one’s life were passed on to their offspring.  Evidence showed this was not true.  A dog whose tail has been cut off will have a puppy with a tail.

 In 1831, ____________________ sailed on the ____________________. 

·        He was hired as the ____________________ who writes observations of things uncounted on the boat’s trip.  He was very interested in animals and plants he saw near or on the ____________________. 

·        He noticed that island’s animals were very different than those in other locations.

·        After his trip he continued to gather information on animals until 1859.

·        In 1859 (28 years later) he published _________________________________in which he described natural selection.

 ____________________ means that organisms with traits best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and have offspring that survive.  This theory is one of the most important ideas in the study of life science.

 Natural Selection:

1.     ____________________________________________________________

2.     ____________________________________________________________

3.     ____________________________________________________________

4.     ____________________________________________________________

5.     ____________________________________________________________

  ____________________ – is an inherited trait that makes an individual different from other members of its species.  Over time, more and more individuals have these variations.

 ____________________ – is any variation that makes an organism better suited to its environment.  An example is camouflage.

 How fast evolution occurs is controversial.  There is evidence that supports both of the following procedures.

1.     ____________________ – describes a slow, ongoing process of evolution. This type would have intermediate forms in the fossil record.

2.     ____________________ – describes a rapid evolution that comes about when the mutation of a few genes results in the appearance of a new species. Penicillin has changed very quickly!

 Clues About Evolution:

 ____________________ – including remains, imprints, or traces of prehistoric organisms.

·        Fossils are found in ____________________ rock most often time including limestone (most!), sandstone, and shale.

·        Sedimentary rock is formed when layers are compacted together.

 Fossil Dating:

1.     ____________________ – is that layers deeper are older.

 2.     ____________________ – measures the amount of radioactive material is in a rock.

____________________ – is the study of embryos and their development

 ____________________ structures – are body parts that are similar in origin and structure.

 ____________________ Structure – are those that don’t seem to have a function. Examples are ____________________ in snakes and whales, human ____________________, and muscles around human ears.

 ____________________ – is very similar in animals that are closely related. 

  ____________________ – are mammals that have three characteristics making them different from other animal groups.  They include

1.     ____________________ ____________________

2.     ____________________ ____________________ (shows depth or distance)

3.     ____________________ ____________________

 ____________________ – are human like primates that appeared that were different from the other primates.  They eat meat and plants and walked upright on two legs.  The oldest fossil of a hominid was found in South Africa and is called Lucy.

  ____________________ is the oldest hominid discovered.  It means southern ape.

 ____________________ – means ‘handy man’.  These early humans were found with tools.

 ____________________ – evolved next.  These early humans had larger brains.  They also traveled to other parts of the world from Africa.

 ____________________ – means ‘wise human’.  They evolved about 400,000 years ago.  There are two main groups of these that probably lived at the same time.

1.     ____________________ – had thick boned, small chins, heavy browridges and heavy bodies.  These are characteristics of the common idea of ‘cave men’.  They died out 30,000 years ago.

2.     ____________________ – were the group that is believed to evolve into the modern human.  These people lived in caves, made stone carvings, buried their dead, and drew the oldest recorded art.

 ____________________ evolved from homo sapiens and are the modern humans.