Evolution, Natural Selection, and Adaptation

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to evolution, natural selection, and adaptation, based on lecture notes.

Natural Selection

The process through which species evolve as individuals with traits better suited to their environment tend to leave more offspring.

Adaptations

Inherited characteristics of organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments.

Descent with Modification

The principle that species today are descended from ancestral species that have changed over time.

Homology

Similarity due to common ancestry, where homologous structures have similar construction due to shared ancestry.

Biogeography

The geographic distribution of species, explaining how species evolve and adapt to different environments.

Fossil Record

Evidence that suggests organisms change over time, providing information about the history of life on Earth.

Artificial Selection

The human-controlled breeding of organisms to produce desired traits, which can lead to rapid changes in species.

Variation

Differences among individuals within a species, crucial for natural selection and adaptation.

Malthus' Principle

The idea that population growth can outstrip resources, leading to competition and natural selection.

Vestigial Structures

Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution, serving as evidence of common ancestry.