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Evolution Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Convergent Evolution | Evolution toward similar features in unrelated species |
| Divergent Evolution | Closely related species that evolve in different directions |
| Coevolution | Species that evolve in response to changes in each other |
| Microevolution | A generation to generation change in allele frequency in a population |
| Homologous | Body parts that are similar, but used differently |
| Analogous | Body parts that perform similar function, but are not alike in structure. |
| Vestigial | Small, leftover body parts that had a function in early ancestors, but have no use today. |
| Mass Extinction | Happens at a global level because of catastrophic event like ice age, volcanic eruption or asteroid impact. |
| Extinction | Elimination of a species |
| Adaptive Radiation | One ancestral species that evolves into many descendent species. |
| Punctuated Equilibrium | Life changes slowly then periods of quick evolutionary change happen |
| Background Extinction | Extinctions that occur at a continual low rate. |
| Stabilizing Selection | Extreme phenotypes eliminated, narrow range of phenotypes. |
| Directional Selection | One extreme eliminated, population favors other extreme. |
| Disruptive Selection | Extreme phenotypes are favored, means reduced. |
| Normal Distribution | Most of the population is the mean, few extremes |
| Genetic Drift | Change in allele frequencies due to chance |
| Bottleneck Effect | Occurs when an event drastically reduces population size |
| Founder Effect | It occurs when a few individuals start new population. |
| Gene Flow | Movement of alleles between populations |
| Behavioral Isolation | Isolation based on differences in courting or mating behaviors |
| Temporal Isolation | Timing prevents reproduction between populations |
| Geographic Isolation | Isolation caused by barriers like mountains, oceans, deserts |
| Allele | Form of a gene |
| Allele Frequency | Measure of how common an allele is in a gene pool or populations |
| Gene Pool | All of the alleles in a group |
| Speciation | New species evolves |