evolution test Flashcards
what is the theory of evolution?
populations that evolve have a common ancestor
Natural selection
Organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more offspring
ex white and black moths
what are the six different types of evidence for evolution
fossil record, molecular biology, comparative anatomy, embryology, Vestigial structures and biogeography
describe fossil record
looking at fossils and evidence in bones to see similar structures between related organisms to see progress of evolution
describe molecular biology
genes in an organism can be compared to determine how closely related there
describe comparative anatomy
same body parts of an organism are analyze for similarities
what is homologous structures
same parts are used for the same function and come from a common ancestor
what is analogous structures
parts used for the same function but come from a non-common ancestor
describe embryology
comparative anatomy where embryology of organisms are study before they hatch, can see structures that are lost from their mature
describe vestigial structures
structures in anatomy which are reduced or non-functional as they no longer contribute to fitness but provides evidence of the relationship between the species
describe biogeography
The study of the distribution of plants and animals in the process that determines the distribution
what is the difference between macro and micro evolution
macro evolution is major changes you see in a species that allow it to be defined as a different species from another and microevolution evolutionary change within a species over a short period.
what is speciation
populations can no longer interbreed with each other they become separated and reproductively isolated
allopatric speciation
physical barriers like rivers or mountains
sympatric speciation
temporal barriers like timing of flowering
what is mutation
mutations are caused by mistakes during replication of DNA
what is genetic drift
Random change in frequency of a gene
what causes genetic drift
natural disasters or organisms producing more offspring than others when no section against them
what is gene flow
happens as individuals migrate between populations of a species to reproduce
what is an example of gene flow
wolves migrating between packs
what is bottleneck effect
drastic reduction in population size and many alleles are lost
what is the founder effect
only a few individuals colonize a new environment Islands from the mainland population
what is nonrandom meeting
happens when organisms select mates based on specific traits they possess
what is the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium
p2 +2pq + q2 = 1
what is convergent evolution
two species experience the same types of selection pressures in there environment and result in having similar characteristics do not share a common ancestor
example of convergent evolution
predators will have similar characteristics like claws
what is divergent evolution
two species come from a common ancestor but experience different selection pressures in same environment but develop different characteristics
example of divergent evolution
dogs and wolves
what is Coevolution
Two species act as selective pressures on each other in a environment and evolve together
what is models of evolution
gradualism and punctuated equilibrium 
what is gradualism evolution
small changes that happen slowly over time
what is punctuated equilibrium
shorter periods of rapid changes for my long periods of stability
what is selective breeding
choosing Organisms with particular characteristics to breed and produce offspring with more traits
what does GMO‘s mean
genetically modified organism
what is GMO’s
genetic material that has been altered using genetic engineering techniques
what is gene therapy
Technology used in genetic research and is used to modify genes of humans
