BIOL TERMS

Paleontology

The study of fossils, important for understanding life history.

Catastrophism

Hypothesis suggesting natural disasters cause extinction of species.

Natural Selection

Process where individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Descent with Modification

Refers to gradual change in traits over generations influenced by environmental pressures.

Homology

Shared characteristics due to common ancestry.

Phylogeny

Evolutionary history and classification system based on shared common ancestors.

Gene Pool

Total alleles in a population.

Founder Effect

A small group breaks off and forms a new population, affecting allele frequencies.

Sexual Dimorphism

Two distinct forms (males and females) within a species.

Prezygotic Barriers

Mechanisms that prevent mating or fertilization between species.

Postzygotic Barriers

Mechanisms that affect hybrid viability and fertility after fertilization.

Maximum Parsimony

The principle that the simplest explanation aligned with facts is more likely to be accurate.

Molecular Clocks

Measures evolutionary change over time based on consistent gene/region mutations.

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

Used to test if a population is evolving, represented by the equation p² + 2pq + q² = 1.

Genetic Drift

Random events causing allele frequency changes, significantly affecting small populations.