Exam 8 Guide - Your Inner Fish

Vocabulary flashcards to review key terms and concepts from 'Your Inner Fish' by Neil Shubin.

Your Inner Fish

A book by Neil Shubin that explores how humans are anatomically similar to fish and how features evolved over time.

Tiktaalik

A major fossil discovery that represents the transition between fish and mammals.

Evolution

The process through which species change over time, illustrating how humans descended from fish.

Homologous structures

Anatomical features in different species that share a common ancestry.

Pectoral fins

The fins of the Tiktaalik that demonstrate the evolutionary transition from fins to limbs.

Notochord

One of the oldest vertebrate features shared by fish and humans.

Common ancestry

The concept that modern species share a connection with ancient ancestors.

Fossil record

Physical evidence documenting transitional forms and evolutionary changes over time.

Deep time

The understanding that Earth’s history spans millions of years, impacting the evolution of species.

Hox genes

Genes that control the body plan of organisms, indicating shared ancestry among species.

Olfactory systems

The systems related to the sense of smell, linked to evolutionary origins in fish.

Evolutionary adaptations

Transformations in species traits that enhance their survival in changing environments.

Segmented body plan

The organizational structure of early vertebrates, relevant to human anatomy.

Gill support structures

Bones in fish that evolved into inner ear bones in mammals, highlighting evolutionary connections.

Anthropoid traits

Characteristics that are shared between humans and other mammals, rooted in evolutionary history.

Anatomical features

Physical traits derived from ancestors, reflecting evolutionary changes.

Transitional forms

Fossils that represent intermediate states between different groups, such as fish and land animals.

Vertebrates

Animals with backbones, including fish and mammals.

Body plans

The overall structural organization of different animals shaped by evolution.

Evolutionary history

The timeline of changes and development in organisms over time.