Evolution

Evolution

The biological change process by which descendants come to differ from their ancestors.

Species

A group of organisms that can reproduce and have fertile offspring.

Linnaeus

Developed a classification system for categorizing organisms from kingdom to species.

Buffon

Proposed that species shared ancestors rather than arising separately.

E-Darwin

Proposed that more complex forms developed from less complex forms.

Lamarck

Proposed that environmental change leads to the use or disuse of a structure.

Darwin

A naturalist who traveled on the HMS Beagle, surveyed and charted the land, collected specimens, and made observations.

Variation

Differences in physical traits within the same group.

Adaptation

A feature that allows an organism to survive better in its environment.

Fossils

Provide evidence of evolution by showing how organisms have changed over time.

Geographical isolation

Physical barriers that divide populations, leading to reproductive isolation.

Embryology

Similar embryos become diverse organisms, indicating a common ancestor.

Homologous structures

Similar in structure but different in function, indicating a common ancestor.

Analogous structures

Different in structure but similar in function, showing no evidence of a common ancestor.

Vestigial structures

Remnants of organs or structures that had a function in an early ancestor.

Molecular evidence

Similar DNA sequences in closely related organisms.

Speciation

The rise of two or more species from one existing species due to no gene flow between populations.

Reproductive isolation

When members of different populations cannot mate successfully, leading to separate species.

Behavioral isolation

Differences in courtship or mating behaviors that prevent successful mating.

Temporal isolation

Different timing of reproductive periods that prevents mating.