Evolution Flashcards
What evidence supports evolution?
- Comparative anatomy
- Embryology
- Similarities in DNA
- Fossils
What is comparative anatomy?
The comparison of structures of different organisms that provides evidence of a common ancestor
What are homologous structures?
Similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor (homo=same, logous=location)
What is early development (embryology)
Comparing how different species develop before birth. as organisms continue to develop, more differences appear.
Similarities in DNA
Comparing genes of different species to determine how closely related they are. The more similar the DNA sequences, the more closely related the organisms are
What can we learn from fossils?
The fossil record provides evidence about the history of life and past environments on Earth. Scientists use fossils to study the rate at which evolution has occurred.
What is a branching tree diagram?
A diagram that shows evolutionary relationships among organisms. It shows how scientists think different groups of organisms are related. They can change based on new evidence that is found.
What is natural selection?
The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. It is the main process that brings about evolution.
Does natural selection cause a change in individuals or populations?
Evolution causes a change in populations. (A frog can’t will itself light green but it’s offspring have a chance of being light green)
What is Fitness?
Fitness is the amount of offspring you can produce.
What is Overproduction?
Organisms produce more offspring than can possibly survive.
What is Variation?
Variation is when individuals of a species have different traits that can help or prevent them from surviving. Individuals need to be different for natural selection to work, otherwise everyone would either die or survive.
What is competition?
The fighting over resources like food, water, territory. SOme may get caught by predators, starve, or get a disease. Few survive to adulthood.
What is successful reproduction?
When there are successful individuals who pass down their favorable traits to offspring.
What is artificial/selective selection?
When humans select plants or animals for breeding based on desired traits.
