Evolution terms Flashcards
analogous structures
similar in function but not in structure or evolutionary origin
anthropology
the study of human cultures and societies and their development
archaeology
the study of history through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artefacts and remains
biogeography
the branch of biology that deals with the geographical distribution of plants and animals
biological evolution
any genetic change in a population that is inherited over several generations
comparative anatomy
the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species
comparative biochemistry
the study of evolutionary relationships between organisms
comparative embryology
the branch of embryology that compares and contrasts the embryos of different species
continental drift
the gradual movement of the continents across the earth’s surface through geological time
evolution
the process by which different kinds of organisms have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth
fossil
the preserved remains or impressions of organisms that lived in the past
genetic bottleneck
an event that drastically reduces the size of a population
genotype
the genetic makeup of an organism
homologous structures
corresponding in structure and evolutionary origin, but not in function
inbreeding
the breeding or mating of closely related individuals
macro-evolution
major evolutionary change of groups of species over long periods of time
mass extinction
the extinction of a large number of species within a relatively short period of time
meiosis
the process of cellular division
micro-evolution
evolutionary change within a species or small group of organisms over a short period
natural selection
the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring
outbreeding
the breeding or mating of distantly related or unrelated individuals
paleontology
the branch of science concerned with fossil animals and plants
permineralisation
a process of fossilisation in which mineral deposits form internal casts of organisms
phenotype
the physical appearance of an organism
