Lecture 2 Flashcards
what is natural selection?
Natural selection is a process in which individuals that have certain heritable traits survive and, because of those traits, reproduce at a higher rate than other individuals.
what is homology
Similarity resulting from common ancestry
what is analogy?
where they have similar functions, but not from a common ancestor
what are vestigial structures?
they are structures with little or no function derived from more complex structures
what is convergent evolution?
it is the evolution of similar features in independent evolutionary lineages
how do biogeography play in this?
it is the geographic distribution of organisms , some taxa are restricted to certain locations. an descent from a commom ancestor that lived in that location
what are fossil records
descent with modification predicts transitional forms
what are transitional forms
they are groups with major adaptations associated with an unusual lifestyle
what is order of appearance?
when fossil record is good, descendant groups should appear later in time than the earliest of their proposed ancestral
