Darwin and the Theory of Evolution

This set of flashcards covers the fundamentals of Charles Darwin's life, his theory of natural selection, the mechanisms of evolution, and the various forms of evidence (fossil, anatomical, and molecular) supporting common descent.

Charles Darwin

A scientist (1809-1882) who studied medicine and theology but eventually proposed the theory of evolution based on years of observation.

H.M.S. Beagle

The ship Darwin sailed on from 1831-1836 during a five-year voyage around the world to collect and study plant and animal specimens.

Evolution

A theory describing the change in species over time.

Thomas Malthus

Author of the 1798 'Essay on the Principle of Population' who reasoned that unchecked human population growth would lead to insufficient food and living space.

Alfred Wallace

A scientist who in 1858 sent Darwin a short essay containing ideas about evolutionary change very similar to Darwin's own thoughts.

On the Origin of Species

The book published by Charles Darwin in 1859 outlining his theories on evolution.

Artificial selection

The practice used by humans of breeding organisms for useful or desirable traits from the natural variation that exists among them.

Fitness

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

Adaptation

Any inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival or reproduction.

Overproduction

The tendency of species to produce excessive numbers of offspring, leading to a struggle for existence or competition.

Individual variation

The existence of heritable variation among individuals within a population.

Natural Selection

The process by which individuals that are best adapted to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully.

Descent with Modification

The principle that each living species has descended, with changes, from other species over time.

Common descent

The principle that all living organisms are related to one another.

Hard fossils

Physical evidence of past organisms consisting of mineralized bones, teeth, shells, and spores.

Trace fossils

Evidence of past biological activities such as footprints, nests, trails, and feces.

Ambulocetus

An ancestral whale species that could both swim in shallow water and walk on land.

Comparative Anatomy and Development

The study of body plans, structures, and development among groups of organisms to find evidence of evolution.

Homologous structures

Similar structures shared by related species that have been inherited from a common ancestor.

Vestigial structures

Heritable body parts with no apparent function that are considered homologous structures inherited from ancestors.

Analogous Structures

Body parts that serve similar functions but do not share a common evolutionary history.

Genetics and Molecular Biology

A field providing evidence for common descent through similarities in genetic codes and homologous genes, which Darwin did not have access to.