Lamarck's and Darwin's Theories of Evolution

These flashcards cover key concepts from Lamarck's and Darwin's theories of evolution including definitions and explanations of related biological terms.

Lamarck's Theory of Evolution

The idea that organisms can inherit acquired characteristics and have a tendency toward perfection.

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms best adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more than others.

Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce.

Adaptations

Inherited traits that increase an organism's chances of survival based on environmental needs.

Genetic Drift

Random change in allele frequencies within a population that can result in increased or decreased allele commonality by chance.

Bottleneck Effect

A change in allele frequency that occurs following a dramatic reduction in the size of a population.

Founder Effect

When a small group starts a new population with different allele frequencies than the original population.

Speciation

The creation of a new species, often through reproductive isolation.

Prezygotic Barriers

Reproductive barriers occurring before fertilization that prevent mating and fertilization.

Postzygotic Barriers

Reproductive barriers that occur after fertilization, often leading to sterile or weak offspring.

Adaptive Radiation

The process where many species evolve from one common ancestor, often due to new habitats.

Coevolution

The process by which species evolve in close relationships with one another, such as in mutualism or predator-prey relationships.

Convergent Evolution

The process where unrelated species evolve similarly due to similar environmental pressures.

Extinction

The end of an organism or species occurring when the last of its members die.