Unit 4 List 1 Evolution AL Flashcards
amino acid sequencing
The process of identifying the arrangement of amino acids in proteins and peptides.
analogous structure
Features of different species that are similar in function but not necessarily in structure.
anatomy
A field in the biological sciences concerned with the identification and description of the body structures of living things.
biochemical evidence
The use of molecular biology techniques to study the chemical processes and substances that occur within living organisms.
biogeography
The branch of biology that deals with the geographical distribution of plants and animals.
cladogram
Diagrams which dept the relationships between different groups of taxa called “clades”.
common ancestry
Ancestral organism shared by two or more descendant lineages.
descent with modification
The idea that species change over time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor.
DNA sequencing
The general laboratory technique for determining the exact sequence of nucleotides in a DNA molecule.
Electrophoresis
A laboratory technique used to separate DNA, RNA, or protein molecules based on their size and electrical charge.
embryo
Early stage in the development of humans and other animals or plants.
embryology
The study of development of an embryo from the stage of ovum fertilization through to the fetal stage.
evolutionary tree
A diagram that depicts the lines of evolution descent.
fossil record
The history of life as documented by fossils.
homologous structure
Similar physical features in organisms that share a common ancestor, but the features serve completely different functions.
homology
Similarity of the structure, physiology, or development of different species or organisms based upon their descent from a common evolutionary ancestor.
paleontology
The study of ancient life, from dinosaurs to prehistoric plants, mammals, fish, insects, fungi, and even microbes.
phenotypic similarity
A measure of functional redundancy within homologous gene families.
phylogeny
More similar to one another than they are to more distantly relaxed tata.
phylogenetic tree
A diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms.
vestigal structures
A feature that a species inherited from an ancestor.
sedimentary layers
Sedimentary rocks are laid down in layers called beds or strata. A bed is defined as a layer of rock that has a uniform lithology and texture. Beds form by the deposition of layers of sediment on top of each other.
adapation
A change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
behavior
The way in which an animal or person acts in response to a particular situation or stimulus.
competition
A relationship between organisms that strive for the same resources in the same place.
genetic variation
The presence of differences in sequences of genes between individual organisms or a species.
fitness
An organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.
gene pool
The stock of different genes in an interbreeding population.
geographic isolation
The physical separation of populations of organisms from one another due to geographical barriers.
morphology
The branch of biology that deals with the form of living organisms.
natural selection
The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
phenoypic expression
An individual’s observable traits.
phsiology
The branch of biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts.
population
All the inhabitants of a particular area.
reproductive isolation
The inability of a species to breed successfully with related species.
sexual selection
Natural selection arising through preference by one sex for certain characteristics in individuals of the other sex.
speciation
The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.
species
A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
Trait
A genetically determined characteristic.
Coevolution
The process of reciprocal evolutionary change that occurs between pairs of species or among groups of species as they interact with one another.
Convergent Evolution
It occurs when organisms that organisms that aren’t closely related evolve similar features or behaviors, often as solutions to the same problem.
Divergent Evolution
The evolutionary pattern in which species sharing a common ancestry become more distinct due to a differential selection pressure.
Founder Effect
The reduction in genetic variation that results when a small subset of a large population is used to establish a new colony.
Gene Flow
Any movement of individuals from one population to another.
Gene frequency
The relative frequency of an allele at a particular locus in a population, expressed as a fraction or percentage.
Gene Pool
The stock of different genes in an interbreeding population.
Genetic Drift
The change in frequency of an existing gene variant in the population due to random chance.
Geological Record
