Evolution Study Guide Flashcards

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to evolution from the student's lecture notes.

Charles Darwin

Proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection, discovering that species evolve through adaptation.

Natural selection

A process where organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce more, leading to evolutionary change.

Georges Buffon

Suggested that the earth was older than previously believed and proposed a single origin for all human races.

Georges Cuvier

Considered the founding father of paleontology; established comparative anatomy and studied extinction.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

Proposed the first mechanism of evolution; believed that characteristics acquired in life were passed to offspring.

Charles Lyell

Argued that geological forces shape the earth gradually and continue to do so today.

Malthus

An economist who explained population growth trends affecting species survival.

Adaptive radiation

Periods of rapid evolutionary changes resulting from the availability of vacant ecological niches.

Biogeography

The study of species distribution in geographic space through geological time.

Comparative anatomy

The study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species, often indicating common ancestry.

Molecular biology

Comparisons of DNA, RNA, and amino acid sequences that can reveal evolutionary relationships.

Homologous structures

Anatomical features that share a common ancestor but may have different functions in modern species.

Analogous structures

Features that serve similar functions but evolved independently in different lineages.

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

The principle stating that genetic variation in a population will remain constant in the absence of disturbing factors.

Gene flow

The movement of fertile individuals or gametes between populations, influencing genetic diversity.

Genetic drift

A change in the gene pool due to chance events, which can lead to a reduction in genetic variation.

Speciation

The process by which new distinct species arise, often involving reproductive barriers.

Prezygotic barriers

Factors that prevent mating or fertilization between species, such as temporal and habitat isolation.

Postzygotic barriers

Factors that occur after fertilization to prevent offspring viability or reproduction.

Macro vs. microevolution

Macro refers to large-scale evolutionary changes, while micro pertains to changes in allele frequencies within populations.

Fossil record

A historical sequence of life documented through fossils; demonstrates changes and succession over time.