19_Lecture_Presentation

Descent with Modification

The concept that current species are descendants of ancestral species, a key idea in Darwin's theory of evolution.

Natural Selection

A process where individuals with favorable inherited traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Malthusian Theory

The idea that populations can grow faster than food supplies, leading to competition and struggle for resources.

Artificial Selection

The intentional breeding of organisms to produce desired traits, as opposed to natural selection.

Homology

Similarity resulting from common ancestry, which can be observed at anatomical and molecular levels.

Vestigial Structures

Remnants of features that served important functions in an organism’s ancestors, indicating evolutionary change.

Convergent Evolution

The process by which unrelated organisms develop similar traits due to adaptation to similar environments.

Biogeography

The scientific study of the geographic distribution of species, providing evidence for evolution.

Fossil Record

Evidence of evolution found through the remains or traces of organisms from the past, revealing changes over time.

Paleontology

The study of fossils, which helps to understand the history of life and evolutionary processes.

Scala Naturae

Aristotle's idea of a fixed hierarchy of species, which contrasts with the modern view of evolutionary change.

Anatomical Homologies

Similar structures found in different species that indicate a common ancestor.

Evolution

The change in inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Adaptation

A trait that has evolved through natural selection, increasing an organism's fitness in its environment.

Taxonomy

The scientific discipline that classifies organisms into a hierarchical structure based on shared characteristics.

Endemic Species

Species that are not found anywhere else in the world; often found on islands.

Lamarck's Hypothesis

The idea that organisms can evolve through use and disuse of body parts, and that such traits can be passed on; largely discredited.

Charles Darwin

Naturalist who proposed the theory of evolution through natural selection.

Geologic Gradualism

The view that earth's changes occur gradually over long periods.

Unity of Life

The concept that all living organisms share common characteristics and are related through a common ancestry.

Diversity of Life

The variety of different species on Earth, which is a result of evolutionary processes.