Principals of Evolution Flashcards
What is evolution?
the process of biological changes by which descendants come to differ from their ancestors.
What are fossils?
Traces of organisms that existed in the past.
What are the 3 geologic changes?
Catastrophism, Gradualism, and uniformitarianism
What is catastrophism?
the theory that states that natural disasters such as floods and volcanic eruptions have happened often during earth’s history. this process causes land shape and species to become extinct (mass extinction).
What is gradualism?
changes in landform that are observed that are a result of slow changes over a long period of time
What is uniformitarianism?
This theory states that the geologic processes that shape earth are uniform through time (small changes are made to earths features). Is the favoured theory of geologic change.
Who was charles darwin?
Was the person who researched how species that live off of the main land differ and came up with the theory that species somehow adapt to their surrounding to increase survival chances (through evolution). he observed fossils of species and compared them to current species and recorded the changes in the current populations of the species.
What are adaptations?
a feature that allows an organism to better survive in its environment; can lead to genetic change in a population over time.
What was the name of the book charles darwin wrote?
Origin of species by means of natural selection
What is variation?
the difference in the physical traits of an individual from those of other individuals in the same group.
What is artificial selection?
The process in which humans change a species by breeding for certain traits; humans make use of genetic variation in species by acting as the selective agent.
What is natural selection?
A mechanism by which individuals that have an inherited beneficial adaptations produce more offspring on average than other individuals do
What does the term fitness mean?
a measure of the ability to survive and produce more offspring relative to other members of the population in a given environment.
What are the four main principals of natural selection?
1) Variation - differences in genetic material of the individuals whether inherited from one parent or a result from mutation
2) Overproduction - having too many offspring and creates a competition for resources
3) Adaptions
4) Descent of modification
What is biogeography?
The study of the distribution of organisms around the world.
