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Questions for Study
- Define 'evolution'.
- What is a phylogenetic tree?
- What is the significance of a 'node' on a phylogenetic tree?
- What does it mean to say that a 'lineage changes over time'?
Give an example.
- What types of things might affect how fast evolution occurs
within a lineage?
- What are fossils? List three examples of how organisms may
be preserved in the fossil record.
- What is the Principle of Superposition?
- What is lithification?
- What are sedimentary rocks?
- Describe the concept of Uniformitarianism in geology and
paleontology. How is this concept important in understanding the
timeline of the history of the Earth?
- What is the difference between the relative and absolute
geologic time scale? How is each determined?
- What is an index fossil?
- What is the 'half-life' of radioactive elements? How is this
useful in determining the age of fossils and rock formations?
- List at least five reasons why the fossil record represents
an incomplete history of life on earth.
- What sorts of events might cause mass extinctions on Earth?
- Why might relatively rapid speciation events follow mass
extinctions?
- Name at least four characteristics of organisms that might
be used in classification.
- What does it mean to say that the Linnaean system of
classification is 'hierarchical'?
- What are the major categories used in the Linnaean system of
classification? Which is most specific? Which is least specific?
- What is the species name for humans? To which kingdom do we
belong?
- What is a domain?
- How are ultrametric trees and phylograms different? How are
they the same?
- Define the principle of parsimony. Why is this principle
important in determining evolutionary relationships?
- What is the principle of maximum likelihood? How is this
different from the principle of parsimony?
- What is a clade? Why are clades important units in
classification?
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