bio def-2

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Southwest Texas Junior College *

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1309

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Anthropology

Date

Oct 30, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by ColonelGalaxy8304

1. Paleontologists- A paleontologist is a scientist who studies the history of life on Earth through the fossil record 2. Fossil: the remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock. 3. Fossil record: The fossil record is made up of all the fossils that have been found, along with their relative ages. 4. Tiktaalik- a fossil fish of the late Devonian period, considered significant to the evolution of land animals 5. Vertebrate- an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. 6. Descent with modification- Darwin defined evolution as "descent with modification," the idea that species change over time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor 7. Evolution- Evolution is the process by which species adapt over time in response to their changing environment. 8. Natural Selection- Natural selection is a mechanism of evolution. Organisms that are more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success. 9. Common Ancestry- Ancestral organism shared by two or more descendent lineages — in other words, an ancestor that they have in common. 10. Significance of DNA Sequence Homology Analysis- Sequence similarity searches can identify ”homologous” proteins or genes by detecting excess similarity – statistically significant similarity that reflects common ancestry. 11. Relative dating-Relative dating is the process of determining if one rock or geologic event is older or younger than another, without knowing their specific ages 12. Radiometric dating- Radiometric dating calculates an age in years for geologic materials by measuring the presence of a short-life radioactive element 13. invertebrates on land- Terrestrial (land-dwelling) Invasive Invertebrates are animals that lack a vertebral column (backbone). Insects are the most common invasive terrestrial invertebrate, but it also includes other arthropods, molluscs (such as snails and slugs), and nematodes (roundworms). 14. Tetrapods- Tetrapods include all land-living vertebrates, such as frogs, turtles, hawks, and lions. 15. Vertebrate- vertebrate, also called Craniata, any animal of the subphylum Vertebrata, the predominant subphylum of the phylum Chordata. They have backbones, from which they derive their name.

16. Homology: the state of having the same or similar relation, relative position, or structure. 17. Homologous structures- Homologous structures are similar physical features in organisms that share a common ancestor, but the features serve completely different functions. 18. Vestigial structure- A vestigial structure is a feature that a species inherited from an ancestor but that is now less elaborate and functional than in the ancestor. 19. Molecular clock- the average rate at which a species' genome accumulates mutations , used to measure their evolutionary divergence and in other calculations. 20. Features of land animals- Most of these animals have legs, which help them to run fast. They have to run fast to catch their prey or to protect themselves from becoming prey of other animals (predators). They breathe through well-developed lungs. Some terrestrial animals have sharp teeth with pointed canines and sharp claws to catch their prey.

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