Introduction to Evolution

Vocabulary flashcards to aid in understanding key concepts in the study of evolution.

Evolution

The progressive change of organisms as they descend from ancestral species.

Natural Selection

The only mechanism capable of producing adaptation in organisms.

Modern Synthesis

A scientific paradigm in biology combining Darwin's theory of natural selection with genetics.

Darwinism

The theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin.

Adaptationism

The strict interpretation of Darwinism that emphasizes adaptation as the primary driver of evolution.

HIV

A retrovirus of medical concern, first identified in humans from African apes.

Antibiotic Resistance

An evolutionary phenomenon where bacteria evolve to resist the effects of antibiotics.

CoVID-19

A novel coronavirus pandemic that emerged in 2019, known for rapidly evolving variants.

Creationism

A religious-political movement based on the belief that the Judeo-Christian bible is an accurate account of creation.

Taxonomy

The science of naming, describing, and classifying organisms.

Demography

The science of populations, including birth rates, death rates, and migration patterns.

Gradualism

The theory that changes in the Earth's geology occur slowly over time.

Uniformitarianism

The principle that geological processes occur at the same rate over time.

Vestigial Structures

Nonfunctional structures inherited from ancestors that had important functions.

Homologous Structures

Structures in different species that are similar due to shared ancestry.

Fossil Record

The cumulative collection of fossils that provides evidence for evolution.

Biogeography

The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems over geographic space and time.

Natural Variation

Differences among individuals in a population that may affect survival and reproduction.

Genetic Drift

A mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies.

Mendelian Genetics

The study of how traits are inherited through alleles according to Gregor Mendel's laws.

Mutation Theory

Hugo De Vries's theory suggesting that new traits arise from mutations.

Adaptive Radiation

The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.

Pesticide Resistance

The ability of pests to survive exposure to pesticides, often due to natural selection.

Ancestral Species

A species from which other species have evolved.

Directional Selection

A mode of natural selection where the fitness of a phenotype increases and causes evolutionary change.

Speciation

The process through which new biological species arise.

Evolutionary Medicine

The application of evolutionary principles to understand health and disease.

Variation Problem

The requirement for genetic variation for natural selection to act effectively.

Embryology

The study of embryonic development, showing similarities among related organisms.

Gills Pouches

Structures in vertebrate embryos indicative of common ancestry.

Morphology

The study of the form and structure of organisms.

Notochord

A flexible rod-like structure that supports the body of some animals during embryonic development.

Transitional Fossils

Fossils that show intermediary stages between ancestral forms and their descendants.

SARS

Severe acute respiratory syndrome, caused by a coronavirus.

Zoonosis

An infectious disease that has jumped from animals to humans.

Triple Therapy

A combination treatment for HIV involving three different drugs.

Common Ancestor

The most recent species from which two or more different species have evolved.

Fitness

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

Phenotype

The observable characteristics of an organism, influenced by genetics and environment.

Allele

Different variations of a gene that may confer specific traits.

Reproductive Success

The ability of an individual to produce offspring that survive to reproductive age.

Biochemical Adaptation

Changes in an organism's biochemical processes to enhance survival and reproduction.

The Galapagos Finches

A group of birds studied by Darwin, demonstrating natural selection through variations in beak size.

Galapagos Islands

Islands known for their diverse species that contributed to Darwin's theory of evolution.

Emergent Diseases

New infectious diseases that arise in populations, often due to evolutionary change.

Directional Natural Selection

A process where one extreme phenotype is favored over others.

Pangea

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Fitness Landscape

A graphical representation of how different genotypes correspond to reproductive success.

Natural Selection Experimentation

Studies conducted in real-time to observe the process of natural selection.

Global Change

Changes in the Earth's environment resulting from natural and human activities.

Population Dynamics

The study of how populations change over time and space.