Evolution

This study stack helps you learn all the necessary and relevant vocabulary in order to develop a strong understanding for evolution.

What is Natural Selection?

It is the process where organisms with beneficial traits survive and reproduce to pass on those traits to future offspring.

Who is Charles Darwin?

A naturalist who traveled to the Galapagos Islands and began the theory of Evolution.

What changed the color of the Peppered Moths of Manchester?

The population color changed over time due to pollution.

What are fossils?

Remains of previously living organisms that provide evidence of how organisms have changed over time.

What is sedimentary rock?

Rock made of multiple layers of sediment in which fossils may be found.

What does embryology suggest about organisms?

It suggests that organisms have evolved from a common ancestor because embryos of differing organisms appear similar.

What are homologous structures?

Structures in differing organisms that are similar, indicating they evolved from a common ancestor.

What are vestigial structures?

Remaining structures in some organisms that are no longer being used today, indicating evolutionary change.

What does the fossil record show?

It shows the changes or evolution that some organisms have undergone throughout history.

What is adaptation?

A change in a species that has occurred over time making the organism better suited to its environment.

What is mimicry?

When a harmless organism looks similar to a harmful organism.

What is camouflage?

An organism blending into its surroundings.

What is competition in evolutionary terms?

Organisms competing for limited resources such as food, water, space, and mates.

What is evolution?

The change in species over time.

What does it mean when a species is extinct?

All organisms of that species are no longer living.

What is variation in biology?

Naturally occurring differences in a species that can lead to beneficial adaptations.

What is overproduction in the context of natural selection?

Producing more offspring than necessary to ensure the survival of the genes.

What are Darwin's finches known for?

They illustrate change in a species over time due to limited food resources.

What is a theory in science?

A scientific idea that has been researched and has evidence to support it, but has not yet been confirmed as a scientific law.

What is a scientific law?

A scientific idea with researched and tested undisputed proof based in facts.

What is a population in biological terms?

A group of organisms of the same species.

What is comparative morphology?

The scientific study of the structures of organisms.

What are analogous structures?

Structures in genetically different organisms that serve the same function due to environmental requirements.

What is gradualism?

The idea that evolution occurred gradually over a long period of time.

What is punctuated equilibrium?

The idea that evolution occurred in short bursts over time.

What is directional evolution?

The evolution of a species where one variation of a trait is favored over others.

What is stabilizing evolution?

The evolution of a species where the average or median trait is favored over extremes.

What is disruptive evolution?

The evolution of a species where both extreme variations are favored over the average trait.

What is geographic isolation?

The isolation of a species population due to geographic features, leading to the development of separate species over time.

What is allelic frequency?

The percentage of a specific allele in a population, calculated by dividing the number of specific alleles by the total number of alleles.

What is adaptive radiation?

The creation of a variety of new species evolving from a common ancestor.

What are behavioral adaptations?

Adaptations in an organism that involve behavior, such as mating dances and migration.

What are structural adaptations?

Adaptations that are physical structures of an organism, like gills in fish.

What are physiological adaptations?

Adaptations that an organism's body naturally makes, such as venom or ink.

What is convergent evolution?

The process where organisms with a common ancestor develop similar characteristics due to similar environments.

What is divergent evolution?

The process where organisms with a common ancestor become more different over time.