Radiometric dating
Eohippus
Archaeopteryx
Homologous structure
Analogous structures
Vestigial structures
cytochrome
plate tectonics
mantle
continental drift
Pangaea
taxonomy
binomial nomenclature
genus
species
catastrophism
gradualism
inheritance of acquired
characteristics
use and disuse
theory of natural selection
descent with modification
selective advantage
directional selection
Accurately measures the age of fossils.
A transitional form that links to the modern horse Equus
A fossil that links reptiles and birds.
In evolution, a structure that is similar in different types of organisms
because these organisms are derived from a common ancestor.
Structure that has a similar function in separate lineages but differs in
anatomy and ancestry.
Remains of a structure that was functional in some ancestor but is no
longer functional in the organism in question.
An iron-containing pigment present in the electron transport chain of
all aerobes.
Concept that the Earth’s crust is divided into a number of fairly rigid
plates whose movements account for continental drift.
The layer of the Earth between the crust and the core.
The movement of the Earth’s crust by plate tectonics resulting in the
movement of continents with respect to one another.
About 250 million years ago, plate movement brought all the
previously separated land masses together into one supercontinent.
Branch of biology concerned with identifying, describing, and naming
organisms.
Scientific name of an organism, the first part of which designates the
genus and the second part of which designates the specific epithet.
One of the categories, or taxa, used by taxonomists to group species;
contains those species that are most closely related through
evolution.
Group of similarly constructed organisms capable of interbreeding
and producing fertile offspring; organisms that share a common gene
pool; the taxon at the lowest level of classification.
Belief espoused by Georges Cuvier that periods of catastrophic
extinctions occurred, after which repopulation of surviving species
took place, giving the appearance of change through time.
The theory that organisms descend from a common ancestor
gradually, over a long period of time, in a linear or branching fashion.
Lamarckian belief that characteristics acquired during the lifetime of
an organism can be passed on to offspring.
The theory of use and disuse of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, advocated the
idea that animals acquired characteristics after using certain physical
traits constantly.
Mechanism of evolution caused by environmental selection of
organisms most fit to reproduce; results in adaptation to the
environment.
Descent with modification refers to the passing on of traits from
parent organisms to their offspring.
The characteristic of an organism that enables it to survive and
reproduce better than other organisms in a population in a given
environment.
Outcome of natural selection in which an extreme phenotype is
stabilizing/purifying selection
sexual selection
diversifying/disruptive
selection
directional selection
balanced polymorphism
industrial melanism
plasmids
sexual dimorphism
artificial selection
balanced polymorphism
morph
cline
independent assortment
Crossing-over
random fertilization
outbreeding
Diploidy
Heterozygote advantage
frequency-dependent
selection/ minority advantage
search image
evolutionary neutral traits
evolution
favored, usually in a changing environment.
Outcome of natural selection in which extreme phenotypes are
eliminated and the average phenotype is conserved.
Changes in males and females, often due to male competition and
female selectivity, leading to increased fitness.
Outcome of natural selection in which the two extreme phenotypes
are favoured over the average phenotype, leading to more than one
distinct form.
Selection where one phenotype replaces another in the gene pool.
The presence of two or more phenotypically distinct forms of a trait in
a single population, such as two varieties of peppered moths, black
ones and white ones.
Increased frequency of darkly pigmented (melanic) forms in a
population when soot and pollution make lightly pigmented forms
easier for predators to see against a pigmented background.
Extrachromosomal ring of accessory DNA in the cytoplasm of
bacteria.
Differences in appearance between males and females.
Intentional breeding of certain traits, or combinations of traits, over
others to produce a desirable outcome.
The presence of two or more phenotypically distinct forms of a trait
in a single population of a species.
A visual or behavioral difference between organisms of distinct
populations in a species.
A variation in some trait of individuals coordinated with some gradual
change in temperature or other factor over a geographic range.
Alleles of unlinked genes segregate independently of each other
during meiosis so that the gametes contain all possible combinations
of alleles.
Exchange of segments between nonsister chromatids of a bivalent
during meiosis.
Random fertilization of one ovum by one sperm out of millions results
in enormous variety among the offspring.
The mating of organisms within one species that are not closely
related.
Cell condition in which two of each type of chromosome are present
(2n).
Situation in which individuals heterozygous for a trait have a selective
advantage over those who are homozygous dominant or recessive.
Decreases the frequency of the more common phenotypes and
increases the frequency of the less common ones.
Standard representation of prey developed by predators that enables
them to hunt a particular kind of prey effectively.
Traits that seem to have no selective advantage.
Descent of organisms from common ancestors with the development
of genetic and phenotypic changes over time that make them more
suited to the environment.
genetic drift
gene flow
mutations
non-random mating
bottleneck effect
founder effect
polydactyl
stable, nonevolving population
dominant allele
recessive allele
reproductive isolation
speciation
allopatric speciation
sympatric speciation
geographic isolation
polyploidy
habitat isolation
behavioral isolation
temporal isolation
prezygotic barriers
postzygotic barriers
divergent evolution
convergent evolution
parallel evolution
coevolution
Mechanism of evolution due to random changes in the allelic
frequencies of a population; more likely to occur in small populations
or when only a few individuals of a large population reproduce.
Sharing of genes between two populations through interbreeding.
Alternation in chromosome structure or number and also an
alternation in a gene due to a change in DNA composition.
Mating among individuals on the basis of their phenotypic similarities
or differences, rather than mating on a random basis.
Cause of genetic drift due to colonization by a limited number of
individuals who, by chance, have different genotype and allele
frequencies than the parent population.
Having extra fingers and toes.
One in which allelic frequencies do not change.
Allele that exerts its phenotypic effect in the heterozygote; it masks
the expression of the recessive allele.
Allele that exerts its phenotypic effect only in the homozygote; its
expression is masked by a dominant allele.
One group of genes becomes isolated from another to begin a
separate evolutionary history.
Origin of new species due to the evolutionary process of descent with
modification.
Origin of new species between populations that are separated
geographically.
Origin of new species in populations that overlap geographically.
Separation by mountain ranges, canyons, rivers, lakes, glacier,
altitude, or longitude.
Having a chromosome number that is a multiple greater than twice
that of the monoploid number.
Two organisms live in the same area but encounter each other rarely.
A form of reproductive isolation in which two populations have
differences in courtship rituals or other types of behavior that prevent
them from interbreeding.
Genetic isolation achieved due to temporal (time) differences in
breeding.
Anatomical or behavioral difference between two species that
prevents the possibility of mating.
Anatomical or physiological differences between two species that
prevents successful reproduction after mating has taken place.
Occurs when a population becomes isolated (for any reason) from the
rest of the species, becomes exposed to new selective pressures, and
evolves into a new species.
When unrelated species occupy the same environment, they are
subjected to similar selective pressures and show similar adaptions.
Two related species that have made similar evolutionary adaptions
after their divergence form a common ancestor.
Thee reciprocal evolutionary set of adaptions of two interacting
adaptive radiation
transitional forms
punctuated equilibrium
endosymbiosis theory
histone
species.
The emergence of numerous species from a common ancestor
introduced into an environment.
Fossils that exist as evidence of every stage in the evolution of every
species with no missing links.
A theory that proposes that new species appear suddenly after long
periods of stasis.
Explanation of the evolution of eukaryotic organelles by phagocytosis
of prokaryotes.
A group of proteins involved in the forming the nucleosome structure
of eukaryote chromatin.