Ch. 22 - Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life Flashcards
Descent with modification
Evolution
The remains or traces of organisms from the past
Fossils
Superimposed layers of rock formed as new layers of sediment cover and compress older ones
Strata
The study of fossils
Paleontology
The theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted chiefly from sudden violent and unusual events
Catastrophism
The theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes
Uniformitarianism
Inherited characteristics of organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments
Adaptations
A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than do other individuals because of those traits
Natural selection
The process in which humans modify other species over many generations by selecting and breeding individuals that possess desired traits
Artificial selection
Similarity resulting from common ancestry
Homology
Variations on a structural theme that was present in a common ancestor
Homologous structures
Remnants of features that served a function in the organism’s ancestors
Vestigial structures
A diagram that reflects evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms
Evolutionary tree
The independent evolution of similar features in different lineages
Convergent evolution
Shared by species without common ancestors because of convergent evolution
Analogous
The scientific study of geographic distributions of species
Biogeography
The ancient single continent on Earth about 250 million years ago
Pangaea
Found nowhere else in the world
Endemic
Define the following term:
Evolution
Descent with modification
Define the following term:
Fossils
The remains or traces of organisms from the past
Define the following term:
Strata
Superimposed layers of rock formed as new layers of sediment cover and compress older ones
Define the following term:
Paleontology
The study of fossils
Define the following term:
Catastrophism
The theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted chiefly from sudden violent and unusual events
Define the following term:
Uniformitarianism
The theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes
Define the following term:
Adaptations
Inherited characteristics of organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in specific environments
Define the following term:
Natural selection
A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than do other individuals because of those traits
Define the following term:
Artificial selection
The process in which humans modify other species over many generations by selecting and breeding individuals that possess desired traits
Define the following term:
Homology
Similarity resulting from common ancestry
Define the following term:
Homologous structures
Variations on a structural theme that was present in a common ancestor
Define the following term:
Vestigial structures
Remnants of features that served a function in the organism’s ancestors
Define the following term:
Evolutionary tree
A diagram that reflects evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms
Define the following term:
Convergent evolution
The independent evolution of similar features in different lineages
Define the following term:
Analogous
Shared by species without common ancestors because of convergent evolution
Define the following term:
Biogeography
The scientific study of geographic distributions of species
Define the following term:
Pangaea
The ancient single continent on Earth about 250 million years ago
Define the following term:
Endemic
Found nowhere else in the world
