Evolution – Key Concepts (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the evolution lecture notes.

Evolution

A central theme in biology explaining the descent of living things with modification over time, accounting for both similarities and differences in form, function, behavior, and ecology.

Fossils

Imprints or remains of organisms from the past that document differences between past and present life and reveal extinct species; example includes specimens like Homo erectus.

Homo erectus

An early human ancestor that lived about 1.5 million years ago in Africa, known from fossil skulls and other remains.

Comparative morphology

Study of similarities and differences in the form and structure of organisms, suggesting common ancestry.

Embryology

The study of embryonic development; reveals that early stages are similar across animals and can show structures not present in adults.

Homologous structures

Anatomical structures that share a common evolutionary origin but may have different functions (e.g., bones in forelimbs of humans, cats, whales, and bats).

Divergent evolution

Evolution of related organisms into different forms and functions, often due to different environments, resulting in homologous structures with different roles.

Post-anal tail

Embryonic tail posterior to the anus seen in many vertebrates; an example discussed in comparative embryology.

Pharyngeal pouches

Embryonic structures in all vertebrates that develop into various head/neck components; evidence of common ancestry.

Comparative embryology

Comparison of early developmental stages across species to reveal homologies and evolutionary relationships.

Molecular evidence

Data from DNA, RNA, and proteins that support evolutionary relationships and common ancestry.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid; the molecule that carries genetic information in most organisms.

RNA

Ribonucleic acid; helps translate genetic information into proteins; key molecule in gene expression.

Universal genetic code

The nearly universal set of rules translating RNA triplets into amino acids, shared across almost all life.

Homology

Similarity due to shared ancestry used to infer evolutionary relationships.

Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin, naturalist who proposed natural selection and the theory of evolution; sailed on the HMS Beagle.

Lamarck

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, proponent of inheritance of acquired characteristics; his mechanism was later disproven though the idea of change over time was influential.

Inheritance of acquired characteristics

Lamarck's idea that traits developed during an organism’s life could be passed on to offspring (not supported by evidence).

HMS Beagle

The ship on which Darwin served as naturalist during the voyage (1831–1836).

Galápagos Islands

Islands whose endemic species and diversity influenced Darwin’s ideas about adaptation, diversification, and speciation.

Adaptive radiation

Rapid diversification of a lineage into multiple species adapted to different environments.

Speciation

Formation of new species through evolutionary processes.

Natural selection

Darwin’s mechanism by which heritable variation affects differential survival and reproduction, leading to evolution.

Alfred Russel Wallace

Naturalist who independently conceived natural selection and co-proposed it with Darwin; prompted Darwin to publish On the Origin of Species.

Linnaeus

Carl Linnaeus, founder of the modern system of taxonomy and binomial nomenclature.

Hutton

Geologist who proposed gradualism, the idea that geological change occurs through slow, continuous processes.

Lyell

Geologist who popularized uniformitarianism and the notion of deep time in geology, influencing evolutionary thinking.

Cuvier

Paleontologist who advanced fossil studies and comparative anatomy, contributing to the field of paleontology.

Mendel

Gregor Mendel, father of genetics; established how traits are inherited through discrete units (genes).

Microevolution

Change in allele frequencies within a population over time.

Macroevolution

Large-scale evolutionary changes, such as speciation and major lineage splits, over long time scales.

Allele frequency

The proportion of a particular allele among all alleles for a gene in a population.