Key Concepts in Evolution and Biological Sciences

These flashcards cover key concepts from evolution, taxonomy, and biological sciences to aid in exam preparation.

Homology is defined as __.

forms related by common ancestry.

Structures derived from a common ancestor are known as __.

homologous structures.

__ structures are remnants of ancestral structures with no present adaptive functions.

Vestigial.

In humans, vestigial structures include the __.

appendix.

Convergent evolution results in __ structures due to similar selection pressures.

analogous.

Natural selection acts on individuals but the fundamental unit of evolution is the __.

population.

The scientific theory is a broad, well-supported explanation that leads to many __.

accurate predictions.

Charles Darwin was a naturalist on the HMS __.

Beagle.

Alfred Wallace wrote to Darwin in __ with similar ideas.

1858.

The Biological Species Concept states that members of the same biological species share the same __.

gene pool.

Prezygotic barriers to reproduction include __, habitat, and behavioral isolation.

temporal.

Hybrid inviability is a type of __ barrier.

postzygotic.

Natural selection explains both the diversity and __ of life.

unity.

Genetic drift can be demonstrated via the __ effect and bottleneck effect.

founder.

The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium predicts genetic frequencies will not change if certain conditions are met: no mutations, random mating, no selection, and a __ population size.

very large.

The evolutionary history of organisms is reflected in a __ tree.

phylogenetic.

A monophyletic group consists of an ancestral species and __ of its descendants.

all.

Viruses are considered __ entities and cannot fit into any domain of life.

parasitic.

Horizontal gene transfer includes transformation, __, and conjugation.

transduction.

Gram staining shows __ reactions based on the cell wall structure of prokaryotes.

two.

Cyanobacteria are responsible for the __ of Earth's atmosphere.

oxygenation.

Photoautotrophs obtain their energy from __.

sunlight.

Protists are primarily found in __ environments.

moist.

Bryophytes are characterized as __, nonvascular plants.

seedless.

The dominant form in bryophytes is the __ gametophyte.

haploid.

Seedless vascular plants transport water via __ and phloem.

xylem.

Lycophytes and pterophytes represent two types of __ vascular plants.

seedless.

Protostome development features __ cleavage and the mouth forms from the blastopore.

spiral.

Deuterostomes display __ cleavage and the anus forms from the blastopore.

radial.

Mass extinctions have occurred __ over geological time.

repeatedly.

Endothermic animals maintain a stable __ temperature independent of the environment.

body.

Ectothermic animals gain heat from __ sources.

external.

Basal metabolic rate measures the __ amount of energy used by an organism in a non-active state.

average.

Negative feedback is the predominant mechanism used in __.

homeostasis.

Four main types of tissues include epithelial, connective, __, and nervous.

muscle.

Porifera are characterized by having no __ systems.

bodily.

Cnidaria possess radial symmetry and are known for their __ cavity.

gastrovascular.

Lophophorates have a feeding structure called a __.

lophophore.

Echinodermata exhibit __ symmetry as adults.

pentamerous.

Vertebrate characteristics include the presence of a notochord and a __ hollow nerve cord.

dorsal.

Amniotic eggs allow reptiles to reproduce __ from water.

freed.

Mammals are characterized by mammary __ that secrete milk.

glands.

Monotremes are the only egg-laying __.

mammals.

Marsupials are identified by their __ pouch.

maternal.

Eutherians are also known as __ mammals.

placental.

Primates have adaptations for an __ life.

arboreal.

Bipedal locomotion is a characteristic of __.

hominins.

Cyclostomata include jawless fish such as hagfish and __.

lamprey.

Jawed vertebrates are called __.

gnathostomes.

The vertebrate skeleton can be composed of cartilage or __.

bone.

Tetrapods are characterized by four __ and neck.

limbs.

Amphibians undergo metamorphosis from aquatic larvae to __ adults.

carnivorous.

Reptiles have adaptations for __ pressure breathing.

negative.

Birds are classified as __ with adaptations for flight.

archosaurs.

Mammalian evolution includes traits such as __ for body warmth.

hair.

__ are mammals that carry their young in pouches.

Marsupials.

Most mammals are classified as __ based on their reproductive canals.

eutherians.

Echinoderms have a skeleton made of __.

calcium carbonate.

Chordata includes organisms with a __ along their back.

notochord.

__ are the group of vertebrates that includes amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

Tetrapods.

The central nervous system develops from the __ hollow nerve cord.

dorsal.

Lancelets are simple chordates that exhibit features like __ feeding.

filter.

Amniotic eggs evolved to support reproduction in a __ environment.

terrestrial.

The evolutionary tree of life helps in understanding __ relationships.

phylogenetic.

The term 'homeostasis' refers to the maintenance of a stable __ environment.

internal.

The study of phylogenetic relationships is known as __.

systematics.

Cladistic analysis groups organisms based on their __ relationships.

evolutionary.

is a process where individuals with beneficial traits survive and reproduce.

Natural selection.

Hybrid sterility leads to viable offspring that cannot __.

reproduce.

Darwin's theory of __ explains the mechanism behind evolution.

natural selection.

The founder effect is a form of genetic __.

drift.

The concept that two populations are genetically distinct is known as __ isolation.

reproductive.

An example of a vestigial structure in humans is the __.

tailbone.

In phylogenetic trees, __ represents divergence events in evolution.

nodes.

Haploid gametophytes dominate the life cycle of __.

bryophytes.

Hibernation is a long-term form of __ in some animals during winter.

torpor.

Viruses depend completely on a __ for resources.

host.

The __ effect reduces genetic diversity following a drastic population decrease.

bottleneck.

Phylogenetic analysis uses __ to classify organisms based on derived characteristics.

cladistics.

Bryophytes require __ for reproduction.

water.

Species that can reproduce at different times are experiencing __ isolation.

temporal.

In animals, reproduction can be __ or sexual, depending on the species.

asexual.

Water vascular systems are unique to the phylum __.

Echinodermata.

The evolutionary significance of cladistics is that it illustrates evolutionary __.

relationships.

The evolution of the jaw is a significant adaptation for __ vertebrates.

gnathostome.

Mutations can affect __ in a population, leading to evolutionary change.

allele frequencies.

Natural selection can lead to __, where species evolve to occupy different ecological niches.

divergence.

__ refers to the transfer of genes from one organism to another through horizontal gene transfer.

Genetic recombination.

The role of phylogenetic trees in biology is to depict the __ among different species.

relationships.

The evolutionary change in allele frequencies over time is called __.

microevolution.

Animal tissues can be categorized into epithelial, connective, muscle, and __ tissues.

nervous.

Ecological factors can influence the process of __ in evolutionary biology.

speciation.

In protostomes, the mouth develops from the __ during embryonic development.

blastopore.

The evolutionary history of life can be visualized in a __ tree.

phylogenetic.

Natural selection leads to __, where traits that enhance survival become more common.

adaptation.

The primary producer in aquatic ecosystems often includes __ and phytoplankton.

algae.

In eukaryotic cells, the __ contains the genetic material.

nucleus.

The introduction of new genetic material into a population is called __.

gene flow.

Fungi have rigid cell walls made of __ and glucans.

chitin.

Prokaryotes can reproduce through __, a process of simple cell division.

binary fission.