Chapter 10: Principals of Evolution Flashcards
Evolution
Process of biological change by which descendants differ from ancestors
- Descent with modification
Species
Group of similar organisms that can reproduce w/ offspring
Fossil
Traces of organisms that existed in the past
Catastrophism
Natural disasters caused mass extinctions and changes in landforms
Gradualism
Earths changes happened over a long period of time by gradual processes
Uniformitarism
Geological processes are uniform throughout time and add up to cause greater change
Variation
Difference in physical trails of an individual from those of other its group
Adaptation
Feature that allows an organism to better survive in its environments; may lead to change in a population over time
Artificial Selection
Humans change a species by breeding it for certain traits (golden doodle)
Heritability
The ability of a Trait to be passed down from one generation to the next
Natural Selection
Mechanism by which individuals that have inherited beneficial adaptations produce more offspring on average than do other individuals
Population
All individuals of a species living in the same area
- Well suited to their environment
Fitness
Measure of the ability to survive & produce more offspring
Biogeography
Study of distribution of organisms around the world
Homologous Structure
Similar structures in related species that have evolved in different ways
