| A | B |
|---|
| Microevolution | the theory that natural selection can , over time take an organism and transform it into a more specialized species of that organism. |
| The Immutability of Species | the idea that each individual species on the planet was specially created by God and could never fundamentally change. |
| Macroevolution | the hypothesis that the same processes which work in microevolution can over eons of time, transform and organsim into a completely different kind of organism. |
| Strata | distinct layers of rock. |
| Fossils | preserved remains of once-living organisms. |
| Structural Homology | the study of similar structures (bones or organs for example) in different species. |
| What problems still exist for those who believe in punctuated equilibrium? | sturctural homolgy and molecular biology still say that macroevolution (even by punctuated equilibrium) could not have happened. |
| How could an adherent to punctuated equilibrium explain the lack of intermediate links in the fossil record? | He would say that since the transition from species to species takes such a short amount of time, there is virtually no chance of an intermediate link being fossilized. |
| What problem with Darwin's hypothesis did neo-Darwinism hope to solve? | neo-Darwinism hoped ot provide a mechanism by which information could be added to the genetic code of an organism. |
| Name two creatures that macroevolutionists claim are intermediate links and why they are not really intermediate links. | Australopithecus afarensis: the "link" between man and ape. However, every bone of the creature has been identified as an ape's bone. Archaeopteryx: the "link" between bird and reptile, but the fossils are definitely from a bird. |
| Is structural homolgy evidence for or against macroevolution or is it inconclusive? Briefly explain why. | It is against because the similar structures aren't a result of inheritance from a common ancestor, because the similar structures are determined by quite different genes. |
| Is the fossil record evidence for or against macroevolution or is it inconclusive? Briefly explain why. | It is against macroevolution because there are no intermediate links in fossils as would need to be for it to agree. |
| From a genetic point of view, what is the main difference between microevolution and macroevolution? | In microevolution, the same genetic code exist throughout change. The changes that occur are simply the result of variation within the genetic code. In order for macroevolution to occur, infromation must be added to the genetic code, essentially creating a new genetic code. |
| Is the geological column evidence for or against macroevolution or is it inconclusive? Briefly explain why. | It is inconclusive, because strata can be formed in numerous ways: by Lyell's speculation of simple life forms gradually getting more complex or by way of natural catastrophe. |
