Term | Definition |
Adaptation | the process of becoming adapted to an environment; an anatomical, physiological, or behavioral change that improves a population's ability to survive |
Convergent evolution (convergence) | The process by which unrelated species become more similar as they adapt to the same kind of environment |
Directional selection | a natural selection process in which one genetic variation is selected and that causes a change in the overall genetic composition of the population |
Disruptive selection | form of natural selection in which a single curve splits into two; occurs when individuals at the upper and lower ends of a distribution curve have higher fitness than individuals near the middle |
Gene Pool | the combined genetic information of all members of a particular population |
Genetic drift | the random change in allele frequency in a population |
Stabilizing selection | type of natural selection in which the average form of the trait is favored and becomes more common |
Speciation | Evolution of a new species, An evolutionary process in which one species splits into two or more species. |
Vestigial Structures | A feature of an organism that is a historical remnant of a structure that served a function in the organism's ancestors. |
Homologous Structures | Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry. Features that have different functions but are structurally similar> indicating common ancestry. |
Analogous Structures | structures that do not have a common evolutionary origin but are similar in function |
Embryology | study of embryonic development, development of life before birth |
Fossil Record | The chronicle of evolution over millions of years of geologic time engraved in the order in which fossils appear in rock strata. |
Gene Frequency | A measure of the occurrence of an allele in a population. |
Natural Selection | A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals that do not have those traits. |