Understanding the Theory of Evolution: Key Concepts and Definitions
This review explores the fundamental concepts of evolution, focusing on heritable changes in populations over generations, the emergence of new organism types, and the mechanisms driving these processes. Key concepts include natural selection, adaptation, and the relationship between fitness and survival. Additionally, it delves into important topics such as fossils, biogeography, homologous and analogous structures, and patterns of evolutionary change like convergent and divergent evolution. Understanding these principles provides insight into the intricate relationships among species and their environments.
Understanding the Theory of Evolution: Key Concepts and Definitions
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Presentation Transcript
Vocabulary Review Ch 15 – Theory of Evolution
A heritable change in the characteristics within a population from one generation to the next; the development of new types of organisms from preexisting types of organisms over time Evolution
The process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do; a theory to explain the mechanism of evolution Natural Selection
The process of becoming adapted to an environment; an anatomical, physiological, or behavioral trait that improves an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce Adaptation
In evolutionary theory, a measure of an individual’s hereditary contribution to the next generation Fitness
The trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock Fossil
The study of the geographical distribution of living organisms and fossils on Earth Biogeography
Anatomical structures in one species that, compared to other anatomical structures in another species, originated from a single anatomical structure in a common ancestor of thetwo species Homologous structure
An anatomical structure in one species that is similar in function and appearance, but not in evolutionary origin, to another anatomical structure in another species Analogous structure
A structure in an organism that is reduced in size and function and that may have been complete and functional in the organism’s ancestors Vestigial structure
The evolutionary history of a species or taxonomic group; the relationships by ancestry among species or taxonomic groups Phylogeny
The process by which unrelated species become more similar as they adapt to the same kind of environment Convergent evolution
The process by which two or more related but reproductively isolated populations become more and more dissimilar Divergent evolution
An evolutionary pattern in which many species evolve from a single ancestral species Adaptive radiation
The selective breeding of organisms (by humans) for specific desirable characteristics Artificial selection
The evolution of two or more species that is due to mutual influence, often in a way that makes the relationship more mutually beneficial Coevolution