Biological Evolution and Darwin's Theory

A collection of vocabulary flashcards designed to reinforce key concepts related to biological evolution and Darwin's theory.

Natural Selection

The process through which some individuals with advantageous traits produce more offspring, leading to evolutionary changes.

Heritable Variation

Differences in traits among individuals in a population that can be passed from one generation to the next.

Adaptation

An evolved trait that helps an organism become better suited to its environment.

Fossils

Preserved remains or traces of past organisms that provide evidence for evolutionary changes over time.

Homologous Structures

Similar anatomical features in different species that indicate a common ancestor.

Vestigial Structures

Anatomical features that have lost their original function but are retained in a reduced form.

Biogeography

The study of the geographic distribution of species and its implications for evolutionary processes.

Mass Extinction

A period in which a large number of species become extinct in a relatively short time due to catastrophic events.

Microevolution

Changes in allele frequencies in a population over time.

Macroevolution

Evolution on a grand scale, encompassing the origin of new species and higher taxonomic groups.

Speciation

The process through which new species arise from existing species.

Gene Flow

The transfer of genetic material between populations that can alter allele frequencies.

Genetic Drift

Random fluctuations in allele frequencies in a population due to chance events.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

A principle stating that allele frequencies in a population will remain constant in the absence of evolutionary influences.

Artificial Selection

The human practice of breeding animals or plants for desired traits.

Analogous Structures

Biological features in different species that serve similar functions but do not share a common ancestor.

Balanced Polymorphism

The maintenance of two or more phenotypes in a population due to selective pressures.

Punctuated Equilibrium

The theory that species evolve during short periods of rapid change separated by long periods of stability.

Cladogram

A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among different species based on shared characteristics.

Evolution