Evolution
Change in a kind of organism over time; process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms.
Darwin
English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)
natural selection
A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.
artificial selection
Breeding organisms with specific traits in order to produce offspring with identical traits.
Adaptation
A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce
Adaptation types
structural, physiological, behavioral
allopatric speciation
The formation of new species in populations that are geographically isolated from one another.
sympatric speciation
The formation of new species in populations that live in the same geographic area
Mutatation
Any change in the Genetic material usually change in a single base.
Fossil
The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past
Fossilization
when living material is replaced with mineral substances in the remains of an organism
Gradualism
The theory that evolution occurs slowly but steadily
punctuated equilibrium
Pattern of evolution in which long stable periods are interrupted by brief periods of more rapid change
Speciation
the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.
selective advantage
a characteristic of an organism that permits it to produce more than the average number of offspring of its species
homologous structures
Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.
analogous structures
Body parts that share a common function, but not structure
Microevolution
Change in allele frequencies in a population over generations.
Macroevolution
large-scale evolutionary changes that take place over long periods of time
vestigial structures
A structure that is present in an organism but no longer serves its original purpose
speciation mechanisms
allopatric, sympatric
Batesian mimicry
A type of mimicry in which a harmless species looks like a species that is poisonous or otherwise harmful to predators.
mulerian mimicry
mutual mimicry (bees and hornets) 2 dangerous species mimic each other
Cryptic camouflage
mimic some aspect of the environment
Disruptive Camouflage
Organisms silhouette is broken up by patterns to confuse predator (zebra)