AP Bio Midterm Key Terms Ch. 22 Flashcards
artificial selection
The selective breeding of domesticated plants and animals to encourage the occurrence of desirable traits.
biogeography
The study of the past and present distribution of species/
catastrophism
The hypothesis by Georges Cuvier that each boundary between strata correspond in time to a catastrophe, such as a flood or drought, that had destroyed many of the species living there at that time.
descent with modification
Darwin’s initial phrase for the general process of evolution.
evolution
All the changes that have transformed life on Earth from its earliest beginnings to the diversity that characterizes it today.
evolutionary adapation
An accumulation of inherited characteristics that enhance organisms’ ability to survive and reproduce in specific environments.
fossil
A preserved remnant or impression of an organism that lived in the past.
gradualism
A view of Earth’s history that attributes profound change to the cumulative product of slow but continuous processes.
homologous structures
Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.
homology
Similarity in characteristics resulting from a shared ancestry.
natural selection
Differential success in the reproduction of different phenotypes resulting from the interaction of organisms with their environment. Evolution occurs when natural selection causes changes in relative frequencies of alleles in the gene pool.
paleontology
The scientific study of fossils.
sedimentary rock
Rock formed from sand and mud that once settled in layers on the bottom of seas, lakes, and marshes. Sedimentary rocks are often rich in fossils.
taxonomy
A set of characteristics used to assess the similarities and differences between various species, leading to a classification scheme; the branch of biology concerned with naming and classifying the diverse forms of life.
uniformitarianism
Charles Lyell’s idea that geologic processes have not changed throughout Earth’s history.
