Chapter 2: Evolution: Constructing a Fundamental Scientific Theory Flashcards
Adaptive radiation
Diversification of an ancestral group of organisms into new forms that are adapted to specific environmental niches
Allele
One or more alt. forms of a gene
Blending inheritance
An outdated, falsified theory that the phenotype of an offspring was a uniform blend of the parents’ phenotypes
Catastrophism
Asserts that cataclysmic events rather than, evolution, are responsible for geologic changes
Chromosomes
Strand of DNA in the nucleus of eukaryotes that contain hundreds or thousands of genes
Demography
Study of a population’s features and vital statistics (birthrate, death rate, population size, population density)
Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA
DOuble-stranded molecule that provides genetic code, consisting of phosphate, deoxyribose sugar, and four types of nitrogen bases
Dominant vs Recessive
Dominant allele is expressed and masks the recessive
Endemic
Describes features natural to a given population or environment
Epidemic
Outbreak of an infectious disease
Evolutionary biology
Study of the process of change in organisms
Evolutionary synthesis
A unified theory of evolution that combines genetics with natural selection
Fossils
Physical remains of organisms that have become mineralized by the replacement of organic with inorganic materials
Gemmules
Units of inheritance as proposed by Darwin, supposedly accumulated in the gametes so they could be passed on to offspring
Gene flow
Exchange of alleles between two populations
Genes
Basic unit of inheritance, a sequence of DNA on a chromosome, coded to produce a specific protein
Genetic drift
Random change in allele frequency from one generation to the next, has greater impact on small populations
Genomics
Branch of genetics that studies species’ genomes
Genotype
Genetic makeup of an organism; the combo of alleles for a given gene
Genus
Group of related species
Geology
Study of Earth’s physical history
Habitat
Where an organism lives
Lamarckism
The false theory of evolution that stated that organisms could pass on features acquired during their lifetime
Mendelian inheritance
Basic principles associated with genetic material’s transmission
Mutation
Random change in a gene or chromosome, creating a new trait that may be advantageous, deleterious, or neutral in its effects on the organism
Natural selection
Process by which some organisms, with adaptive features, preferentially survive and reproduce, thereby increasing the feature’s presence in the population
Paleontology
The study of fossils
Pandemic
Wide regional/global spread of infectious disease
Pathogen
Microorganism that can cause disease
Phenotype
Physical expression of a gene
Population genetics
Focuses on the changes in gene frequencies and effects of those changes on adaption and evolution
Species
Group of related organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile, viable offspring
Systematics
Study and classification of living organisms to determine their evolutionary relationships with one another
Taxonomy
Classification of organisms into a system that reflects degrees of relatedness
Uniformitarianism
Theory that natural processes today are the same as they always were
Virulence
The capacity of a pathogen to cause harm to its host (high = more likely)
James Hutton
Calculated Earth’s age as millions of years & provided geologic evidence necessary for calculating time of span of evolution
Charles Lyell
Rediscovered and reinforced Hutton’s ideas
Robert Hooke
Proved that fossils are organisms’ remains
Georges Cuvier
Extensively studied fossils, revealed variation in the fossil record
John Ray
Pioneered taxonomy based on physical appearance
Carolus Linnaeus
Wrote Systems of Nature, presented the binomial nomenclature taxonomy of plants and animals
Thomas Malthus
Founded demography, provided the concept of characteristics advantageous for survival
Jean-Baptise Lamarck
Lamarckism, provided first serious model of physical traits passing from parents to offspring
Erasmus Darwin
Characteristics are acquired via inheritance
