chapter 20 -22 Flashcards
All vocabulary for midterm 1
Evolution
Evolution is change in a population from one generation to the next of one or more heritable characteristics
Biological Evolution
the change in inherited traits over successive generations in populations of organisms
microevolution
changes among populations within a species over time
macroevolution
refers to the formation of new species or groups of related species
molecular evolution
studies evolutionary change at the level of DNA sequence
species
a group of related organisms that share a distinctive form
population
all members of a specie that live in the same area
heritable trait
traits passed down from parent to offspring
trait variation
diversity of a characteristic among individuals
natural selection
a process that selects if a heritable traits is for the environment or against the environment. Only the fittest of animals and plants to survive and reproduce
selective breeding
process that involves humans choosing two parents with beneficial traits to reproduce
artificial selection
an evolutionary process in which humans select for or against particular features
biogeography
study geographic distribution of extinct and living species
convergent evolution
two different species becoming anatomically similar because they occupy similar enviorments
analogous structures
features of different species that are similar in function but not in structure or do not derive from a common ancestor
homologous structures
similar traits that occur due to descent from a common ancestor
vestigial structure
biological structures that have no apparent function