Evolutionary Theory and Misconceptions

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to evolutionary theory as discussed in the lecture, focusing on misconceptions and foundational elements of the theory.

Evolutionary Theory

A scientific theory explaining the change in allele frequencies of a population over time.

Common Descent

The concept that all life evolves from a common ancestor.

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Law of Succession

A biogeographical pattern where living species in a given area are typically closely related to fossils found in that area.

Transitional Forms

Fossils or organisms that show intermediary stages between different biological structures or types.

Vestigial Traits

Reduced versions of traits found in other species that have lost their original function.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A bacterium that can evolve rapidly due to mutations, impacting its phenotype and drug resistance.

Darwin's Finches

A group of bird species studied by Charles Darwin, illustrating variations in beak shape and size as an example of evolution.

Molecular Phylogenies

The analysis of genetic sequences to understand evolutionary relationships among species.

Homology

Similarities among organisms of different species due to shared ancestry, which can be genetic, developmental, or structural.