Evolution 3

Evolution

The process of genetic change in a population over generations.

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Adaptation

Changes in species to better suit their environments due to selection pressures.

Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Selection Pressures

Environmental factors that influence the survival and reproduction of organisms.

Lactase Persistence

The continued production of the enzyme lactase into adulthood, allowing for the digestion of lactose.

Urban Evolution

Genetic changes in human populations that occur due to living in urban environments.

Evolutionary Medicine

The application of evolutionary theory to understand health, disease, and anatomy.

Antibiotic Resistance

The evolution of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics due to selective pressures.

Thrifty Gene Hypothesis

The idea that some genes that were beneficial in the past may now contribute to obesity and related conditions.

Obstetric Dilemma

The evolutionary trade-off between a pelvis shape suitable for bipedal locomotion and the need for a birth canal large enough for infants.

Homologies

Similarities in behavior or biology between different species that indicate common ancestry.

Applied Evolution

The use of evolutionary principles and processes in agriculture and animal husbandry to improve crops and livestock.

Population Profiles

Analysis of genetic evidence to make inferences about populations and potential suspects in forensic investigations.

Heredity

The passing on of traits from parents to their offspring.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem that influence organism survival, such as competition and predation.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living environmental components, such as climate and habitat, that affect life.

UV Protection

The benefit of skin pigmentation in protecting against harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Emerging Diseases

New diseases that arise and spread rapidly, influenced by evolutionary changes.

Evolution Essentials

Key concepts necessary to understand evolution: reproduction, inherited variation, changing environment, selective pressures, differential reproductive success.