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| Gradual change in a population of a species over time that leads to diversity |
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| The process whereby organisms that possess traits which help them survive will be more likely to pass those traits on to their offspring |
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| British naturalist who developed the concept of evolution and explained how it was driven by natural selection |
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| A chain of islands off the coast of S. American where Darwin made important observations of birds called finches |
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| What are the 5 steps which describe the process of evolution? |
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Definition
| 1. There is inherited variation in all populations. 2. Organisms have more offspring than can survive. 3. Only some are able to reproduce. 4. Those whose traits help them survive will pass those traits on. 5. Gradually, the population will change and become better suited to its environment. |
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| Any traces of long dead organisms preserved in rock |
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| A process that measures the amount of radioactivity in a sample and then calculates its age |
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| The time period when half of the initial radioactivity in a sample will have decayed |
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| Species found in the fossil record that show gradual change from one species to another |
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| Structures in organisms that have lost their usefulness, such as your appendix or hip bones in whales, snakes |
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| Supports evolution by showing a similar pattern of bone structure in skeletons |
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| Structures that have a similar design because they share a common ancestor |
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| Embryo development shows many similarities among many different species, pointing to a shared common ancestor |
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| Primitive traits seen in human embryos include... |
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Definition
| A bony tail, small gill pouches, a coat of fine fur |
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| Biochemical evidence of evolution |
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Definition
| Genes in many species are identical, small changes in gene sequences can be used to tell how closely related different species are |
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| Theory that evolution occurs at a slow or gradual rate |
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| Theory that evolution occurs in bursts following environmental upheavals, and is then followed by long periods of little change |
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| The process of selective or directed breeding to produce offspring with desired traits. Used to produce new breeds of dogs, better crop species. |
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| Traits that are newly evolved such as feathers, which distinguish a species from its ancestors. |
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| Traits that are more primitive and are seen in both new forms and in ancestral forms, such as teeth, tails, etc. |
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| Structures that are similar in shape and used for the same function but are not derived from the same tissue and may not have the same internal structure. They evolve in similar environments. |
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| Study of the distribution of plants and animals on Earth; used to show evolutionary relationships between species |
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| A measure of the relative contribution an individual makes to the next generation. Usually measured as the number of offspring produced. |
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| A trait shaped by natural selection that increases an organism's reproductive success. |
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| When a species evolves traits that helps it blend into its environment and avoid being seen |
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| A harmless species evolves so that it looks like a harmful species |
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| Changes in the allele frequency in a population due to chance events; more likely to occur in small populations |
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| When a small number of individuals are separated from the main population and the allele frequencies of this smaller population differs from the original population. |
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Definition
| When the majority of a population dies, the allele frequencies in the survivors may differ from that of the original population |
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| A form of selection that pushes the phenotypes of a population in one direction, toward one extreme |
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Definition
| A form of selection that eliminates the extremes and selects for the middle of range of phenotypes |
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| A form of selection that selects for both extremes and eliminates those phenotypes in the middle of the range. |
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| Also called divergent evolution; when one ancestral form gives rise to many new forms; as an original finch species gave rise to many different species on the Galapagos Islands |
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| When two organisms evolve in response to changes in each other |
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| When unrelated species evolve similar traits because they live in similar environments; they can evolve analogous structures |
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| Theory that states that evolution occurs in small, gradual steps |
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Definition
| Theory that states that evolution occurs in abrupt, rapid bursts which are followed by long periods of little change |
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Definition
| States that older fossils are found in deeper layers of rock |
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Term
| What is the smallest unit of evolution? |
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Definition
| A population of organisms. An individual cannot evolve! |
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| What types of items can be fossilized? |
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Definition
| Bones, skin, feathers, footprints, feces (coprolites) |
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