Definitons Flashcards
Evolution
New species form from preexisting forms through successful generations
Adaptation
A species gets used to its environment ints in
Natural Selection
Organisms that are more adapted to the environment have better chances of surviving and passing down traits.
Variation
Differences that exist in every individual and population
Overproduction
Having many offspring with a chance of at least some surviving.
Fitness
Organism’s ability to pass down its genetic material to its off spring.
Descent with Modification
Species that change over time.
When was Darwin’s book published and what is it called
The Origin of Species (1859)
Embryology
Similar features of embryos were in very different organisms.
Fossils
The study of fossils showed how organisms changed over time.
Vestigial Structures
Remnants of organs or structures that had a function in the earliest ancestors. (Wings of ostriches, no need to fly).
Homologous Structures
Features that are similar in structure but appear in different organisms and have different functions (Forelimbs of tetrapods and vertebrates).
Analogous Structures
Structures that perform a similar function but are not similar in origin (Bat and insect wings).
Biogeography
The study and distribution of organisms around the world.
DNA/Protein Similarity
Similiarities among cell types across organism can be revealed by comparing proteins.
