Evolution & Natural Selection

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the fundamental concepts of evolution, natural selection, and genetic variation based on lecture notes.

Evolution

How life changes over millions of years.

Population Evolution

cannot change during its life time.

Darwin's Observations

Findings related to how species vary across island chains and the discovery of fossils of extinct animals, which led to the theory of natural selection.

The Four Major Ideas of Natural Selection

Variation, selection, overproduction, and adaptation.

Fitness

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

Adaptation

An inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival and reproduction in its environment.

Camouflage

A mechanism that allows animals to blend into their surroundings to avoid detection.

Genetic Variation

allows survival against threats like diseases and adaptation to changing environments.

Major Sources of Genetic Variation

Mutations and genetic recombinations.

Mutation

A source of variation that creates completely new genes or traits.

Crossing Over

A process that shuffles DNA to increase variation.

Gene Pool

The total collection of all the different genes and versions of genes found within a single, interbreeding population of a specific species.

Allele Frequencies

Changes in these occur over time due to natural selection or genetic drift.

Speciation

When a single population of organisms splits and evolves into two or more distinct, separate species that can no longer inbreed.