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Biology
Chapter 15 Vocab
20
Biology
9th Grade
04/19/2010

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Term
Biological Species Concept
Definition
definition of a species as a population or group of populations whose members can breed with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring
Term
Macroevolution
Definition
major biological changes evident in the fossil record
Term
Speciation
Definition
formation of new species
Term
Reproductive Isolation
Definition
condition in which a reproductive barrier keeps two species from interbreeding
Term
Geographic Isolation
Definition
separation of populations as a result of geographic change or migration to geographically isolated places
Term
Adaptive Radiation
Definition
evolution from a common ancestor of many species adapted to diverse environments
Term
Punctuated Equilibrium
Definition
evolutionary model suggesting species often diverge in spurts of relatively rapid change, followed by long periods of little change
Term
Embryology
Definition
study of multicellular organisms as they develop from fertilized eggs to fully formed organisms
Term
Geological Time Scale
Definition
Earth's history organized into four eras: Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic
Term
Radiometric Dating
Definition
determination of absolute ages of rocks and fossils through calculations based on a radioactive isotope's fixed rate of decay
Term
Half-life
Definition
time it takes for 50 percent of a radioactive isotope sample to decay
Term
Continental Drift
Definition
motion of continents about Earth's surface on plates of crust floating on the hot mantle
Term
Mass Extinction
Definition
episode of great species lost
Term
Taxonomy
Definition
identification, naming, and classification of species
Term
Binomial
Definition
two-part Latin name of a species
Term
Phylogenetic Tree
Definition
branching diagram, suggesting evolutionary relationships, that classifies species into groups within groups
Term
Convergent Evolution
Definition
process in which unrelated species from similar environments have adaptations that seem very similar
Term
Analogous Structures
Definition
similarities among unrelated species that result from convergent evolution
Term
Derived Character
Definition
homologous characteristic that unites organisms as a group
Term
Cladogram
Definition
phylogenetic tree constructed from a series of two-way branch points, suggesting ancestral relationships among species
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