Evolution Flashcards
Define “Species”
a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
What is selective breeding?
Selective breeding involves choosing parents with particular characteristics to breed together and produce offspring with more desirable characteristics. Humans have selectively bred plants and animals for thousands of years including: crop plants with better yields.
What is natural selection?
Natural selection is the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change. Individuals in a population are naturally variable, meaning that they are all different in some ways. This variation means that some individuals have traits better suited to the environment than others.
How do selective breeding and natural selection differ?
Natural selection is driven by environmental factors that limit survival and reproduction, such as harsh environments or competition for mates. Selective breeding is also known as artificial selection. Artificial selection is driven by human intervention.
What is Lamarck’s theory of evolution?
Lamarckism, a theory of evolution based on the principle that physical changes in organisms during their lifetime—such as greater development of an organ or a part through increased use—could be transmitted to their offspring.
What is Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution?
Darwin proposed that species can change over time, that new species come from pre-existing species, and that all species share a common ancestor.
Give examples of evidence of evolution!
Five types of evidence for evolution are discussed in this section: ancient organism remains, fossil layers, similarities among organisms alive today, similarities in DNA, and similarities of embryos.
