Chapter 16 Flashcards
Evolution, the Development of the Theory
Natural Selection
The evolutionary process by which alleles that increase the likelihood of survival and the reproductive output of the individuals that carry them become more common in subsequent generations.
Artificial Selection
Selective breeding of animals or plants to ensure that certain desirable traits appear at higher frequency in successive generations.
Population
All individuals of a single species that live together in the same place and time.
Endemic Species
A species that is found in a single limited, geographic region on Earth, like and island, lake, or region.
Adaptations
A characteristic that helps an organism survive longer or reproduce more under a particular set of environmental conditions
Fitness
An individuals reproductive success. Fitness is a relative concept, a trait is only adaptive if it increases fitness, and the traits that increase fitness may change.
Mutation
A random and heritable change in the DNA sequence. Arise as a result of imperfect DNA replication, as well as certain physical, chemical, and biological agents.
Convergent Evolution
The evolution of similar adaptations in distantly related organisms that occupy similar environments.
Generation Time
The average time between the birth of an organism and the birth of its offspring
Biogeography
The study of geographic distribution of plants and animals
Population Genetics
The branch of science that studies the prevalence and variation in genes among populations of individuals
Modern Synthesis
A unified theory of evolution developed in the middle of the 20th century.
Microevolution
Small-scale changes in the genetic makeup (the genotype) within populations over time, often in response to shifting environmental circumstances or chance events
Macroevolution
Large-scale evolutionary patterns in the history of life, producing major changes in species and higher taxonomic groups.
What to study in the textbook
Study 16.1b, 16.2a, 16.3c, 16.3d, 16.3e,
