Evolution and Natural Selection Concepts

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts related to evolution and natural selection, providing concise definitions for study and review.

Taxonomy

The science of naming, describing, and classifying organisms.

Binomial Nomenclature

A two-part scientific naming system using genus and species.

Natural Selection

A process in which individuals with favorable heritable traits survive and reproduce more successfully than others.

Homologous Structures

Structures with similar underlying anatomy due to common ancestry, even if their functions differ.

Vestigial Structures

Reduced or remnant structures inherited from ancestors that had an important function in the past.

Analogous Structures

Structures that perform similar functions but do not come from common ancestry, resulting from convergent evolution.

Genetic Variation

Differences in DNA sequences among individuals in a population.

Hardy Weinberg Equation

A formula (p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1) that describes genotype frequencies in a population at genetic equilibrium.

Genetic Drift

Random changes in allele frequencies, especially in small populations.

Founder Effect

A type of genetic drift that occurs when a small group leaves a larger population and starts a new one.

Bottleneck Effect

A type of genetic drift caused by a sudden large reduction in population size.

Directional Selection

Natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype, causing the population average to shift in one direction.

Disruptive Selection

Natural selection that favors both extreme phenotypes and selects against intermediate phenotypes.

Stabilizing Selection

Natural selection that favors intermediate phenotypes and selects against extremes.

Gene Flow

The movement of alleles between populations through migration of individuals or gametes.

Punctuated Equilibria

The idea that species often stay relatively unchanged for long periods, punctuated by rapid evolutionary change.

Endosymbiotic Theory

States that mitochondria and chloroplasts evolved from free-living prokaryotes that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells with a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, generally larger and more compartmentalized than prokaryotic cells.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic prokaryotes that contributed to the rise of atmospheric oxygen.

Multicellularity

A condition in which many cells live together with specialization and cooperation.