Term | Definition |
Analogous Character/structure | Structures of different species having similiar or corresponding function but not the same evolutionary orgin. |
Biodiversity | the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole) |
Cladogram | a diagram that is based on patterns of shared, derived traits and that shows the evolutionary relationships between groups of organisms |
Class | (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more orders |
Dichotomous Key | an identificationkey that contains pairs of contrasting descriptions. |
Domain | most inclusive taxonomic group, larger than kingdom; three exist - bacteria, archaea, eukaryota |
Evolution | (biology) the sequence of events involved in the evolutionary development of a species or taxonomic group of organisms |
Family | the taxonomic category below the order and above the genus |
Genus | the level of classification that comes after family and that contains similar species |
Habitat | the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs |
Homologous Structure/character | anatomical stuctures that share a common ancerstry. |
Kingdom | large taxonomic group, consisting of closely related phyla |
Order | the taxonomic category below the class and above the family |
Phylogenic tree | a branching diagram that shows how organisms are related through evolution |
Phylum | the taxonomic group below kingdom and above class |
Population | a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area and interbreed |
Species | a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring; also the level of classification below genus and above subspecies |