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Biology Ch 15.1-2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| artificial selection | Darwin's term for the selective breeding of organisms selected for certain traits in order to produce offspring having those traits. 15.1 |
| evolution | Hereditary changes in groups of living organisms over time. 15.1 |
| natural selection | Theory of evolution developed by Darwin, based on four ideas: excess reproduction, variations, inheritance, and the advantages of specific traits in an environment. 15.1 |
| analogous structure | Structure that has the same function but different construction and was not inherited from a common ancestor. 15.2 |
| ancestral trait | More-primitive characteristic that appeared in common ancestors. 15.2 |
| biogeography | Study of the distribution of plants and animals on Earth. 15.2 |
| camouflage | Morphological adaptations that allow organisms to blend into their surroundings. 15.2 |
| derived trait | New feature that had not appeared in common ancestors. 15.2 |
| embryo | Organism's early prebirth stage of development. 15.2 |
| fitness | Measure of a trait's relative contribution to the following generation. 15.2 |
| homologous structure | Anatomically similar structure inherited from a common ancestor. 15.2 |
| mimicry | Morphological adaptation in which one species evolves to resemble another species for protection or other advantages. 15.2 |
| vestigial structure | Reduced form of a functional structure that indicates shared ancestry. 15.2 |