Introduction to Evolution and Natural Selection

Evolution

The process that has transformed life on Earth from its earliest forms to the vast diversity observed today.

Natural Selection

The mechanism of evolutionary change where organisms that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce.

Fossils

Remains or imprints of past life, preserved in sediments and found in layers of rock, that provide evidence for gradual change over time.

Adaptive Radiation

The evolutionary pattern where many related species evolve from a single ancestral species, often occurring in isolated regions.

Divergent Evolution

The process of two or more related species becoming more dissimilar, usually due to adapting to varying environments.

Convergent Evolution

The process where unrelated species develop similar traits as a result of adapting to similar environments.

Extinction

The permanent disappearance of an entire species when it cannot survive in its environment.

Homologous Structures

Anatomical features in different organisms that share a common ancestry, even if they serve different functions.

Comparative Anatomy

The study of similarities and differences in the anatomical structures of different organisms, providing evidence for evolution.

Co-evolution

The joint evolution of two or more species that interact closely, influencing each other’s adaptations.