AP BIO CH 22

artificial selection

The selective breeding of domesticated plants and animals to encourage the occurrence of desirable traits.

biogeography

The study of the past and present distribution of species.

catastrophism

The hypothesis by Georges Cuvier that each boundary between strata corresponded in time to a catastrophe, such as a flood or drought, that had destroyed many of the species living there at that time.

descent with modification

Darwin's initial phrase for the general process of evolution.

evolution

All the changes that have transformed life on Earth from its earliest beginnings to the diversity that characterizes it today.

evolutionary adapation

An accumulation of inherited characteristics that enhance organisms' ability to survive and reproduce in specific environments.

fossil

A preserved remnant or impression of an organism that lived in the past.

gradualism

A view of Earth's history that attributes profound change to the cumulative product of slow but continuous processes.

homologous structures

Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.

homology

Similarity in characteristics resulting from a shared ancestry.

natural selection

Differential success in the reproduction of different phenotypes resulting from the interaction of organisms with their environment. Evolution occurs when natural selection causes changes in relative frequencies of alleles in the gene pool.

paleontology

The scientific study of fossils.

sedimentary rock

Rock formed from sand and mud that once settled in layers on the bottom of seas, lakes, and marshes. Sedimentary rocks are often rich in fossils.

taxonomy

A set of characteristics used to assess the similarities and differences between various species, leading to a classification scheme; the branch of biology concerned with naming and classifying the diverse forms of life.

uniformitarianism

Charles Lyell's idea that geologic processes have not changed throughout Earth's history.

vestigial organ

A structure of marginal, if any, importance to an organism. Vestigial organs are historical remnants of structures that had important functions in ancestors.