Theories and Evidence of Evolution

Flashcards covering key concepts related to the Theories and Evidence of Evolution.

Evolution

The slow, gradual change in a population of organisms over time.

Natural Selection

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

Theory

A statement or model that has been well tested and supported many times.

Spontaneous Generation

The now-discredited theory that life could arise from non-living matter.

Gradualism

The idea that processes occurring now have changed Earth’s geological features slowly over long periods of time.

Law of Use and Disuse

Lamarck's idea that organisms could change during their lifetime by using or not using parts of their bodies.

Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Adaptation

An inherited characteristic that increases an organism’s chance for survival and reproduction.

Vestigial Structures

Structures that are no longer useful but were functional in earlier ancestors.

Biochemical Evidence

DNA and amino acid sequence analysis that suggests relatedness among species.

Common Ancestor

An ancestral species from which later species evolved.

Anatomical Evidence

Comparative study of body structures to understand evolutionary relationships.

Embryological Evidence

Similar stages of embryonic development in different species indicating common ancestry.