Introduction to Evolution

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on evolution.

Evolution

The process by which modern organisms arise from ancient organisms through genetic changes over generations in response to environmental pressures like natural selection; involves changes in the gene pool over time.

Gene pool

The total genetic variation present in a population.

Natural Selection

An evolutionary process where environmental factors favor certain traits, increasing an organism's survival and reproductive success.

Artificial Selection

Human-caused selection where breeders choose for desirable traits to improve marketability or productivity.

Charles Darwin

Naturalist who proposed the theory of evolution and published it in 1859 in The Origin of Species.

The Origin of Species

Darwin's 1859 book explaining evolution and the mechanism of natural selection, and how biodiversity arises.

Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth, explained by evolutionary processes and variations among organisms.

Selection Pressure

Environmental factors that favor or against certain traits, guiding evolutionary change.

Peppered Moth

Light-winged moths were common before industrialization; pollution favored darker-winged moths, illustrating natural selection.

Industrial Revolution

Period of widespread pollution that created a selective pressure affecting moth coloration and survival.

Adaptation

A trait that makes an organism better suited to its environment and its niche.

Extinction

The disappearance of a species when it cannot adapt to environmental changes.

Fossil Evidence

Fossils show changes over time and reflect major climatic and geological changes in Earth's history.

Embryological Evidence

Similarities in early embryonic development across species suggest shared genetic programs.

Homologous Structures

Body parts with similar internal structures that may perform different functions, indicating common ancestry.

Analogous Structures

Body parts with different internal structures that perform the same function, reflecting convergent evolution.

Vestigial Structures

Reduced or nonfunctional structures that provide clues about evolutionary history (e.g., whale pelvis, femur).

DNA

Genetic material in all organisms.

RNA

Genetic material in all organisms.

Proteins (e.g., cytochrome c)

Biomolecules present in most organisms; used as evidence in biochemical comparisons of relatedness.

Biochemical Evidence

Evidence from molecules like DNA, RNA, and proteins that supports evolutionary relationships.