Bio Evolution Vocab

Evolution

Process of growth, development, change over long period of time.

Common ancestor

Ancient ancestor that different species evolved from, i.e humans from chimpanzees.

Homologous structure

Similar structure but different functions in different species, proves that species are from common ancestor.

Analogous structure

Similar structure in species because of the environment that they came from was similar, not common ancestor, such as bird, bat, and insect wings.

Vestigal structure

Structures that aren’t used anymore because species no longer need to use them, but shows that species evolved because this function isn’t needed. Ex. wisdom teeth used to be neccessary for humans to chew hard foods, but now it is not needed anymore which is why they are often removed.

Geographic distribution

Species that are very similar to each other on different continents

Embryology

Embryology shows evidence for common ancestry and vestigal features. For common ancestory, in embryo development different species can look very similar like humans and mammals. In early humans in embryo, humans have gills and a tail which are seen in fish and mammals, proving that there was shared ancestory. Humans also have a tail in embryo development and have tail bone which proves that they evolved from ancestors that had tails, as the tail bone is a vestigal structure.

Fossil

Fossil evidence is a huge part of evolution because it demonstrates that the more complex the fossils are, the newer they are, and vice versa. Humans can look at fossils and see that the fossils have changed over time, proving evolution.

Natural Selection

Mechanism of evolution that makes the fittest species of their environment survive and reproduce, while the others die off. Environment chooses which species will have the advantageous traits.

Fitness

Determines how likely you are to survive in your environment, “best fit” are the ones that can survive and reproduce offspring and have them survive

Adaptation

Physical, behavioral, physcological traits that species adapt due to their environment, traits become more common, all because of natural selection

Directional Selection

Individuals with extreme phenotype have higher fitness than those with average phenotypes, population’s genetic variance move to advantegous traits.

Gene Pool

Combined genetic information in particular population

Genetic drift

Changes in allele frequency that occur due to chance, the crossings of different populations which will change populations

Founder effect

a type of genetic drift in which allele frequencies change as the result of the migration of a subset of a population

Gene flow

exchange of genes with another population due to migration

Sexual selection

Different species have different ways in which they attract their mates to reproduce. ex. birds of paradise doing intricate and elaborate dances to their partner

Mutation

Change in DNA, genetic variation is produced by mutations

Behavioral Isolation

populations seperated by specific courtship or mating behaviors (seen in peacock spiders)

Geographical isolation

Seperated by geographical barriers like the different sqiurells in grand canyon

Temporal isolation

Populations are seperated by different breeding times (west skunks breed in fall, east skunks breed in spring)

Reproductive Isolation

Temporal isolation, behavioral isolation, and geographical isolation can lead to reproductive isolation, where parts of population can’t mate with each other. Members of the isolated population will become so different that they can no longer mate and produce fertile offspring with original population.

Species

organisms of the same species can reproduce and produce fertile, viable offspring (the offspring survive and can reproduce) known as biological species concept

Speciation

Populations of organisms evolve into distinct species that can’t inbreed and produce fertile offspring

Microevolution

change in frequency of the alleles within a population (same species)

Macroevolution

Go from one species into mutliple species, if pop splits then becomes new species.

Phylogeny

Last one in family tree relates to beginning of family tree