Evolution & Genetics Vocab

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Theory of Evolution

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when organisms change over time, so modern organisms descended from ancient ones

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Biological Evolution

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any genetic change in a population that is inherited over several generations

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Phenotype

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the set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment

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Genotype

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the genetic makeup of an individual organism

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Artificial Selection

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intentional breeding of plants and animals to preserve traits that breeders want

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Natural Selection

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the process where organisms better adapted to their inviromment tend to survive longer and produce more offspring

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Biological Fitness

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the genetic contribution of an individual to the next generation's chance of survival and reproduction in a certain environment

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Adaptation

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inherited traits that improve an organism's chance of survival and reproduction in a certain environment

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Favorable

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to the advantage of someone or something

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Genetic Variation

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diversity in gene frequencies between individuals or populations

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Geological Evolution

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science that deals with the physical history of the Earth and the changes it is and has undergone

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Anatomy

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the branch of Science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms

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Transitional Fossil

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any fossil which gives us information about a transition from one species to another; helps support the Theory of Evolution

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Plate Tectonics

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a theory that states the Earth's crust is a made up of a number of plates which move over a liquid crust that gets created and destroyed over time

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Pangaea

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two hundred million years ago (Ma), research suggests that all the continents were one large mass

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Biodiversity

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the variation of life in the world, or in a specific habitat or ecosystem

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Homologous Structures

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structures that have different mature forms but develope from the same embryonic tissue SIMILAR STRUCTURE DIFFERENT FUNCTION

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Analogous Structures

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structures in different species that have similar appearances of functions but have evolved separately thus do not share a common ancestor SIMILAR FUNCTION DIFFERENT STRUCTURE

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Vestigial Structures

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remnants of structures that were once functional in ancestor, (now reduced size and have little or no function) THE LEFTOVER

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Embryology

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a branch of biology that studies or compares early life stages and their development

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Biological Classifications

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how biologists group organisms, rooted works by Aristotle

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Genetic Mutations

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randomly occur to produce variations. Sexual reproduction also creates variations