Mechanisms of Evolution Vocabulary Flashcards
Artificial Selection
selective breeding of plants and animals to promote the occurrence of desirable traits in offspring
Adaptation
heritable characteristic that increases an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in an environment
Species
a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
Genetic Drift
random change in allele frequency caused by a series of chance occurrences that cause an allele to become more or less common in a population
Insertion Mutation
a mutation resulting from the addition of extra nucleotides in a DNA sequence or chromosome
Gradualism
the evolution of a species by gradual accumulation of small genetic changes over long periods of time
Natural Selection
process by which organisms that are most suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest
Coevolution
process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other over time
Adaptive Radiation
process by which a single species or a small group of species evolves into several different forms that live in different ways
Bottlenneck
a change in allele frequency following a dramatic reduction in the size of a population
Deletion Mutation
a gene mutation when the addition or deletion of nucleotides cause a shift in the reading frame of the codons in the mRNA, leading to alteration in the amino acid sequence
Punctuated Equilibrium
pattern of evolution in which long stable periods are interrupted by brief periods of more rapid change
Industrial Melanism
the prevalence of dark-colored varieties of animals (especially moths) in industrial areas where they are better camouflaged against predators than paler forms
Speciation
formation of a new species
Niche
full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions
Gene Flow
(gene migration) the transfer of alleles or genes from one population to another
Substitution Mutation
a point mutation in which a single nucleotide is substituted or exchanged for a different nucleotide that alters the sequence of amino acids which may render the newly synthesized protein ineffective
Fitness
how well an organism can survive and reproduce in its environment
Vestigial Structure
structure that is inherited from ancestors but has lost much or all of the original function
Homologous Structure
structure that is similar in different species of common ancestry
Analogous Structure
body parts that share a common function, but not structure (like beaks)
Evolution
the process by which organisms have changed over time
Fossil
preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms
Half-Life
length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay
