3c Theories of Evolution

Descent with Modification

The concept that species change over time, leading to the emergence of new species from a common ancestor due to changing environmental conditions.

Natural Selection

The process by which favorable traits are preserved in a population, allowing those traits to thrive, while less advantageous traits are eliminated.

Adaptive Radiation

The process by which organisms diversify rapidly into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments; observed in Galapagos finches.

Catastrophism

The theory that geological features are a result of sudden, short-lived, and violent events, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Gradualism

The theory that changes in Earth’s geology and organisms occur slowly and steadily over time.

Uniformitarianism

The principle that geological processes occurring in the present are the same as those that occurred in the past.

Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics

The theory proposed by Lamarck suggesting that traits acquired during an organism's life can be passed on to its offspring.

Theory of Evolution

A comprehensive explanation of how species change over time through processes such as natural selection and genetic variation.

Evolutionary Synthesis

The unification of theories of evolution and genetics, proposing that genetic mutations create heritable variations that natural selection acts upon.

Human Genome Project

A large-scale research initiative that aimed to map and understand all the genes of the human species, highlighting genetic similarities across organisms.