CH22 Flashcards
Define
Evolution
Change in the genetic composition of a population with respect to time
What is meant by the process of evolution?
The mechanisms that produce the pattern of change, for example natural causes
What is meant by the pattern of evolution?
The data from biology, geology, physics, chemistry that reveal the evolutionary pattern
Define
Natural selection
The inheritance of specific traits that enhance survival. They are a product of editing and environment-dependent
To what can the unity of life be attributed?
To a common ancestor, from which accumulations of habitat-dependent specific traits through generations gave rise to the diversity we can observe today
Define
Artificial selection
The selecting and breeding of individuals that possess desired traits
What was Darwin’s first observation?
Members of a population vary in their inherited traits
What was Darwin’s second observation?
All species produce more offspring than their environment can support
What was Darwin’s first inference?
Individuals with good traits survive and tend to have a higher percentage of surviving progeny
What was Darwin’s second inference?
As a byproduct of the first inference, favorable traits accumulate from generation to generation
How does direct observation support evolution?
Small scale evolution on organisms with small lifespans (soapberry bugs with longer beaks for deeper seeds)
Define
Homology (in the context of evolution)
Similarities amongst organisms deriving from common ancestry
Define
Convergent evolution
The independent development of features in different lineages
Give some examples of vestigial structures
-The underlying skeletons of the arms, flippers and wings of different species are homologous structures
-pseudo-genes that have lost their functions or are functional in cousins of the species
What is the difference between analogous and homologous?
While homologous describes a common ancestry, analogous describes a similar function observed in two species that do not have common ancestry
