Ch 15 Theory Of Evolution Flashcards
The development of new types of organisms from pre-existing types of organisms overtime
Evolution
Rock layers that are formed as new layers of rock are deposited overtime
Strata
The idea that sudden geological catastrophes cause the extinction of large groups of organisms at certain points in the past
Catastrophism
English geologist from 1797 through 1875 who came up with the idea of uniformitarianism
Charles Lyell
French biologist from 1744 through 1829 supported the idea that populations of organisms change over time
Baptiste Lamarck
Phrase used by Darwin to describe the process of evolution
Descent with modification
Darwins theory. Mechanism for descent with modification
Natural selection
Measure of an individual’s hereditary contribution to the next-generation
Fitness
Term used to describe changes in traits in populations over time
Adaptation
Anatomical structures that occur in different species and that originated by hereditary found the structure in the most recent common ancestor of the species
Homologous structures
These have closely related functions but do not derive from the same ancestral structure
Analogous structures
These seem to serve no function but that resemble structures with functional roles and related organisms
Vestigial structures
The process by which different species evolve similar traits
Convergent evolution
Process in which the descendants of a single ancestor diversify into species that each fit different parts of the environment
Divergent evolution
When two or more species have evolved adaptations to each other’s influence
Coevolution
