Introduction to Evolution

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary concepts related to the lecture on evolution, including foundational theories, significant figures, and evidence supporting evolutionary biology.

Miller and Urey Experiment

An experiment that simulated Earth's primitive atmosphere to test the origins of life, producing amino acids.

Amino Acids

Organic compounds that combine to form proteins; hypothesized to be the first sign of life on Earth.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms without a nucleus; the first form of life to appear on Earth.

Eukaryotes

Organisms made up of cells that contain a nucleus; developed from prokaryotes through the endosymbiotic theory.

Endosymbiotic Theory

The theory that eukaryotic cells originated through a symbiotic relationship between different prokaryotic cells.

Anaerobic Bacteria

Bacteria that do not require oxygen for growth; first type of bacteria to appear on Earth.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants and some organisms convert light energy into chemical energy, producing oxygen.

Paleozoic Era

An era characterized by rich marine life and early land organisms, including plants, insects, and reptiles.

Mesozoic Era

The age of dinosaurs; characterized by the dominance of dinosaurs and the emergence of mammals and flowering plants.

Cenozoic Era

The era where mammals became the dominant life form, characterized by ice ages and diversified habitats.

Natural Selection

The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

A scientist who proposed an early theory of evolution based on the inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Acquired Characteristics

Traits that an organism develops during its lifetime that Lamarck believed could be passed to offspring.

Charles Darwin

A British naturalist who developed the theory of evolution through natural selection based on his observations.

Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment; a key concept in natural selection.

Common Ancestor

An ancestral species from which different species have evolved; a foundational concept of evolutionary biology.

Homologous Structures

Anatomical features in different species that share a common ancestor, indicating evolutionary relationships.

Analogous Structures

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

Vestigial Structures

Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution, offering evidence of common ancestry.

Comparative Embryology

The study of the similarities and differences in the embryonic development of different species.

Biochemistry

The study of chemical processes within living organisms, providing evidence for common ancestry.

Mutation

A change in DNA that can lead to the development of new traits and variations in a population.

Migration

The movement of individuals into or out of a population, introducing new genetic variations.

Sexual Reproduction

The process whereby genetic material from two parents combines to create genetically diverse offspring.

Fossil Record

The history of life as documented by fossils, which provide evidence for evolution and extinct species.

Relative Dating

A method of determining the age of fossils by comparing their placement in sedimentary rock layers.

Absolute Dating

A method of determining the exact age of a fossil using techniques such as radioactive dating.

Geological Time Scale

A system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time, dividing Earth’s history into eras.

Survival of the Fittest

A phrase that describes the mechanism of natural selection, where the most adapted organisms survive.

Isolation

A condition where a population is separated from other groups, potentially leading to new species through evolution.

Evolutionary Change

The change in the heritable traits of a population over generations, leading to speciation or extinction.