BIOL 2200 Lecture 3: Evidence for Evolution

Vocabulary flashcards on evidence for evolution, natural selection, and related concepts.

Evolution

A change in the heritable traits of a population from generation to generation.

Natural Selection

A mechanism of evolution where differential survival, variation in heritable traits, advantageous heritable traits, and increased fitness occur.

Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Homology

Similarity due to common ancestry; can be anatomical or molecular.

Phenotypic Plasticity

A genotype that produces different phenotypes in response to the environment; the phenotype that results from plasticity is not heritable.

Lateral Plates

A morphological trait in sticklebacks that varies between individuals and populations, providing protection against predators.

Lactase Persistence

The continued production of lactase in adulthood, allowing the digestion of lactose; an example of recent natural selection in humans.

Speciation

The evolutionary process by which new biological species arise.