unit 7&8 definitions

Question 1

adaptation

Answer 1

is a structure, behavior or physiological process that helps an organism survive and reproduce in a particular environment

Question 2

behavioural adaptation

Answer 2

the things an organism does to survive
Ex: migration, bird calls, playing dead

Question 3

physiological adaptation

Answer 3

permit organism to perform special function
Ex: making venom, hibernation,

Question 4

structural adaptation

Answer 4

physical features of a organism that help them to adapt
Ex: beak of a bird, fur on a bear,

Question 5

mimicry

Answer 5

harmless species resemble (mimic) a harmful species so predators will avoid them
because they think they are harmful

Question 6

variations

Answer 6

structural, functional or physiological differences between individuals.

Question 7

variations within species

Answer 7

Through sexual reproduction individuals inherit a different combination of genetic information form parents (different alleles)

Question 8

mutations

Answer 8

permanent changes in the DNA of an organism.

Question 9

selective advantage

Answer 9

a genetic mutation that improves an organism’s chance of survival in a changing environment and therefore also increases its chance of reproduction

Question 10

natural selection

Answer 10

process that results when the characteristics of a population of organisms change over many generations due to biotic or abiotic factors

Question 11

selective pressure

Answer 11

When certain environmental conditions select (favour) for certain characteristics in some individuals and against different characteristics in another individual

Question 12

fitness

Answer 12

the contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation by producing offspring that can survive long enough to reproduce

Question 13

artificial selection

Answer 13

selective pressure from humans on populations in order to improve or modify desirable traits.

Question 14

monoculture

Answer 14

planting of the same variety of species over a large portion of land, reducing genetic diversity.

Question 15

palentology

Answer 15

study of ancient life through fossils

Question 16

catastrophism

Answer 16

Earth experienced many destructive catastrophic events (floods, droughts, volcanic eruptions, etc.) which caused the extinction of species that were then replaced by new species form a region nearby

Question 17

uniformitarianism

Answer 17

geological changes are slow and continuous (not catastrophic) and that slow subtle changes can result in substantial change

Question 18

inheritance of acquired traits

Answer 18

idea that characteristics acquired during an organism’s lifetime can be passed to offspring

Question 19

theory of evolution by natural selection

Answer 19

Theory explaining how life has changed and continues to change during Earth’s history

Question 20

evolution

Answer 20

the process of genetic change in a population over time

Question 21

survival of the fittest

Answer 21

organisms compete for limited resources. Organisms with favorable traits that help them survive will have an increased chance of reproduction.

Question 22

descent with modification

Answer 22

theory that natural selection does not demonstrate progress but results in the ability to survive local environmental conditions.

Question 23

what are the 5 sources for evolution

Answer 23

fossils, biogeography, anatomy, embryology, DNA

Question 24

fossil record

Answer 24

The remains of traces of past life that are found in sedimentary rock; it reveals the history of life on Earth and the kinds of organisms that were alive in the past

Question 25

transitional fossil

Answer 25

A fossil that shows intermediary links between groups of organisms and shares characteristics common to two separate groups.

Question 26

vestigial structure

Answer 26

A structure that is a reduced version of a structure that was functional in the organism’s ancestors

Question 27

biogeography

Answer 27

The study of the past and present geographical distribution of species populations

Question 28

homologous structures

Answer 28

same origin/structure, different function

Question 29

analogous structures

Answer 29

different origin/structure, same function

Question 30

embryology

Answer 30

The study of early, pre-birth stages of an organism’s development