Term | Definition |
turtles with different shaped shells and finches with different beaks | species that Darwin studied |
Charles Darwin | father of evolution |
Natural Selection/Survival of the Fittest | Individuals with adaptations best suited to their environment survive, reproduce, and pass their hertiable traits to their offspring. |
Artificial Selection | Breeders select variations that they find most useful to improve crops and livestock |
Genetic Recombination | Crossing-over and sexual reproduction lead to an increase in genetic variation |
gametes | mutations must occur here in order to get passed on |
genetic drift | by chance genes are passed on to offspring because they survived a catastrophic event |
gene flow | a NEW allele enters (migrates) into the gene pool and changes the allele frequency |
punctuated equilibrium | model of evolution in which sudden (rapid) changes occur |
gradualism | model of evolution that is slow and steady in the process, many years |
vestigial structure | has lost all or part of its orginial function; pelvic bones in whale, appendix in humans |
homologous structure | same structure but different function ex. whale flipper and bat wing |
analogous structure | same function but different structure ex. butterfly wing and bat wing |
molecular evidence | similarities in DNA, proteins, amino acids |
cladogram | a branching diagram that shows relationships between organisms |