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Evolution
Biology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Evolution | process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms |
| Charles Darwin | scientist who formulated theory of Evolution through natural selection |
| Theory of use-and-disuse | theory proposed that organisms could alter (change) the size or shape of particular organs by using their bodies in new ways |
| Acquired characteristics | belief that changes such as altered body structures would be inherited |
| Theory of natural selection | process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully |
| Fitness | the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce in its specific environment |
| Natural Selection (Survival of the fittest) | process described by Darwin in which the strongest survive |
| Adaptation | an inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival |
| Gene pool (frequency) | consists of all genes including all the different alleles that are present in a population |
| Artificial selection | selection by humans for breeding of useful traits from the natural variation among different organisms |
| Homologous structures | structures that have different mature forms in different organisms but develop from the same embryonic tissues |
| Analogous structures | performing a similar function but having a different evolutionary origin, such as the wings of insects and birds |
| Vestigial structures | organ that serves no useful function in a an organism |
| Comparative anatomy | determining the evolutionary relationships between different species to find similar structures or characteristics |
| Comparative embryology | determining the evolutionary relationships between different species by studying their embryos |
| Comparative biochemistry | the study of the similarities and differences between different living organisms |
| Fossil record | remains of dead organisms that have been preserved by natural processes |
| Evolutionary tree | diagram used to represent evolutionary relationships among different living and extinct species |
| Common ancestor | all species, living and extinct, were derived from common ancestors |
| Selecting agent | any factor, environmental or otherwise, that affects fertility or mortality. |
Created by:
gmottola
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