Natural Selection and Evolutionary Biology Concepts

This set of flashcards covers essential vocabulary and concepts related to natural selection and evolution as discussed in the lecture notes.

Evolution

The process by which different kinds of living organisms develop and change over time, also defined as both a pattern and a process.

Natural Selection

The mechanism by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Phenotypic Variation

Differences in physical traits among individuals in a population, which are crucial for the process of natural selection.

Adaptations

Inherited characteristics that enhance an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

Descent with Modification

The principle that living species are modified descendants of common ancestors; explains the branching pattern of evolution.

Artificial Selection

The process by which humans breed plants and animals for desired traits, providing insight into natural selection.

Homologous Structures

Body parts in different species that share a common ancestry, despite differing functions.

Analogous Structures

Body parts in different species that perform similar functions but do not share a common evolutionary origin.

Phylogeny

The evolutionary history and the relationships among a species or group of species.

Cladistics

A method of classifying species based on common ancestry and shared derived characteristics.

Gene Pool

The complete set of genetic information within a population, including all alleles.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

A principle that describes a population that is not evolving, characterized by stable allele frequencies.

Genetic Drift

A mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies within a population.

Macroevolution

Large-scale evolutionary changes that occur over long periods of time, often resulting in the formation of new species.

Reproductive Barriers

Biological features that prevent species from interbreeding, which can lead to speciation.

Sympatric Speciation

The formation of new species in the same geographical area, often through mechanisms like polyploidy.

Gradualism

The hypothesis that evolution occurs at a slow, constant rate as opposed to through sudden changes.

Punctuated Equilibrium

The theory that evolution occurs in rapid bursts separated by long periods of stability.

Adaptive Radiation

The rapid evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor when new adaptations allow them to exploit different environments.