Core 6 - Midterm Exam Study Guide – 10
a.m. Wednesday 2/25/2008 in the Shen
Format: 50 multiple-choice questions. We will use Scantron forms, and “number two”
pencils will be provided, but if you bring your own it will save some time in
getting started.
Instructions: Please sit with your discussion section and
leave one empty seat between you and your neighbor. Please turn off cell phones and text
messaging devices. When you’re done,
please turn in all papers to your
professor.
Here are the points emphasized
in the questions for each lecture.
_1. Humanity’s Place in Nature
Know the
Linnaean classification hierarchy and in particular the classification for
humans.
Understand
the NOMA concept as it relates to creation (not creationism) and evolution.
Know the
reasons it’s important to study (biological) evolution.
_2. Humanity in the Universe
Distinguish
among the “three evolutions”: cosmic,
biological, and cultural.
Understand
the difference between creation and creationism.
Know that
science, and philosophy/theology use different means of knowing and address
different questions. Science uses
scientific method with empirical data and addresses the “how”, for
example. Philosophy and Theology deal
with the “why”, etc. With this in mind,
be able to classify creationism, materialism, evolution, and creation in terms
of compatibility, contrariness, and contradictoriness.
In view
of Teilhard de Chardin’s essay, students should be able to assess the impact of
cores 5-8 on their worldview.
_3. Peak Oil and Global Warming
Know the
definition of “production” in the context of oil.
Know the
definition of “Peak Oil”.
Understand the Greenhouse Effect. Is it good or bad? Why are scientists concerned about the Greenhouse Effect and carbon dioxide emissions?
What is “Global Warming” and what are evidences for it?
_4. Darwinism
Know the definitions of and recognize examples of natural selection, fitness, intermediate forms (“missing links”), vestigial structures, common ancestry.
Natural selection and common
ancestry are
What does “fitness” mean in Darwinian terms?
_5. Genetics
List and explain Mendel’s 3 rules of
genetics.
Know that proteins determine traits.
Understand the difference between dominant
and recessive traits and be able to fill out a
Explain the relationship among genes, DNA,
RNA, and proteins.
Know the definition of mutation.
_6. The Unifying Theory
Explain definitions of natural selection,
biological evolution, unifying theory, speciation, population.
A fact is information which has been observed
empirically.
Populations are what evolve.
In order for speciation to occur, some kind
of reproductive barrier must eventually be involved.
Why is biological evolution the unifying
theory of biology?
_7. The Fossil Record
Understand that fossils can be preserved in
various ways: original material, mold/cast,
permineralization, replacement, and extraordinary preservation (freezing,
etc.).
Explain the difference between a body fossil
and a trace fossil.
List the order of appearance of major groups
of life in the fossil record, e.g., reptiles, birds, bacteria, etc.
Know the three main geologic eras of abundant
life - Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic - and what major kinds of life forms lived
in these eras. The “Age of ----------“.
Understand the concept of mass extinctions
and how these led to the evolution of different life forms
Explain in problems with the fossil record,
in particular its bias, leading to the fact that most species are not
represented in the fossil record.
_8. Extinction and Proliferation
Describe punctuated
equilibrium and the “rhythm of life” from the fossil record.
List the unique characteristics of dinosaurs
and how scientists figured these out from fossil evidence.
Explain the ancestry of dinosaurs, in
particular their relation to mammal-like reptiles.
What happened to mammal-like reptiles?
Explain a possible reason for the extinction
of most dinosaurs. Do any dinosaur
descendents exist today?
_9. Intelligent Design – Some Alternative
Explanations of Origins
What are
the various origins models (Young Earth Creationism, etc.) and how do they deal
with Earth Age, the Fossil Record, and Evolution?
What are
some of the problems with considering Intelligent Design as a scientific
explanation of origins?
_10. Primate Ancestors of Humanity
Explain why humans are classified in the
primate order – in other words, what characteristics do humans share with other
primates?
What primate group is closest to humans?
Understand the DNA evidence that supports
chimp/human common ancestry.
Distinguish the anatomical differences
between modern humans and non-human apes – brain size and structure, teeth,
thumbs, jaws, knees, etc.