Classification & Diversity of Life

Flashcards about Classification & Diversity of Life

Adaptive Radiation

An evolutionary pattern that happens over a short period of time in which a single species rapidly diversifies into different kinds of closely related species to adapt a specific environmental changes.

Chemical Evolution

The first step in the development of life on this planet, where complex organic molecules formed from simpler inorganic molecules through chemical reactions in the oceans.

Biological Evolution

The process that led to the formation of life and complex organisms.

Domains of Life

Three large clusters of closely related organisms: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota (or Eukarya).

Bacteria

Prokaryotes with cell wall containing peptidoglycan. Wide variety of lifestyles, including many that can produce their food.

Archaea

Prokaryotes but with no peptidoglycan and with similarities to Eukaryotes in genome organization. Usually live in extreme conditions.

Eukaryota (or Eukarya)

Eukaryotic domain of life.

Systematics

The study of the diversity of organisms and the relationships between the organisms.

Taxonomy

The science of naming organisms and grouping them into logical categories.

Phylogeny

The science that explores the evolutionary relationships among organisms.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

The process of arranging various organisms into successive levels of biological classification.

Carolus Linnaeus

Scientist who developed the system of taxonomy based on physical and structural similarities and used binomial system of nomenclature.

Binomial Nomenclature

A system where each species is assigned a unique two-part name: Genus & Species.

Genus

A group of closely related organisms ranks below family and includes more than one species.

Species

A closely related group of organisms, which comprise similar characteristics.

Fossil

The preserved remains of a dead organism from millions of years ago in sediments, such as sand and mud.

Body Fossils

The preserved physical remains of an organism, such as bones, teeth, shells, or leaves.

Trace Fossils

Indirect evidence of an organism's activity, like footprints, burrows, or nests.

Chemical Fossils

Molecular traces of life, like organic molecules that remain after the organism has decomposed.

Comparative Anatomy

The study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species.

Cladistics

A method to evaluate the degree of relatedness among organisms within a species based on shared characters and similarity of species derived from ONE Ancestor.

Cladogram

Diagram that each cladistics involves.

Clade

A group of organisms that consists of a common ancestor and descendent species with shared Characteristics or Traits

Microevolution

Involves minor differences in genes between populations of the same species and happens on a smaller scale from generation to generation.

Macroevolution

A large scale, major biological changes occurs over millions of years; Involves origin of new species from a common ancestor or from one species into two different species

Mutation

Changes in the base sequence of DNA.

Gene Flow (Migration)

The movement of individuals into and out of populations, resulting genes(alleles) either being added or removed from a population

Genetic Drift

Involves a significant change in gene frequency that is NOT a result of natural selection. Results from random or chance events

Natural Selection

Nature’s way of choosing which traits are best for survival, and those traits become more common in the group.

Speciation

The evolutionary process by which new biological species arise due to natural selection and mutation

Polyploidy

A condition in which a normally diploid cell (2n) or organism acquires one or more additional sets of chromosomes(3n, 4n )

Extinction

A common pattern in evolution in which groups of organisms die out and a natural phenomenon predicted by Darwin in his theory of evolution

Divergent Evolution

Evolution involves species with a common ancestor that change to become increasingly different over time

Convergent Evolution

Evolution involves unrelated species (different ancestor) that develop similar characteristics over time (have analogous structure)

Parallel Evolution

Evolution happens when two closely related species independently develop similar traits because they face similar challenges in their environments.

Co-evolution

Refers to the process by which two or more species or entities influence each other's evolutionary development over time through the process of natural selection