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Evolution
Chapters 10,11,12
24
Science
10th Grade
01/21/2007

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Term
Evolution
Definition
a change over a period of time
Term
Fossil
Definition
bones and other traces of ancient organisms
Term
Adaptation
Definition
a combination of physical characteristics and behaviors that helped each organism catch food, withstand harsh conditions, or reproduce
Term
Fitness
Definition
based on an organism’s ability to successfully pass on its genes to its offspring
Term
Homologous structure
Definition
develop from similar tissues in the early developmental stages of the organisms
Term
Vestigial organ
Definition
structures that seemed to have little or no obvious purpose in the organism
Term
Artificial selection
Definition
nature provided the variation and humans allowed only selected organisms to produce offspring.
Term
Natural selection
Definition
generation after generation, the struggle for existence selects the fittest individuals to survive in natural
Term
Common descent
Definition
each living species has descended from other species over time
Term
Mutation
Definition
changes in the structure of an organism’s DNA cause changes in the information carried in one or more of its genes
Term
Reproductive isolation
Definition
a species is defined as a group of similar-looking organisms that can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring
Term
Gene pool
Definition
when members of species interbreed, they share genes with one another
Term
Genetic drift
Definition
an allele can become more or less common in a population simply by chance
Term
Speciation
Definition
the formation of a new species
Term
Gradualism
Definition
view that evolutionary change occurs slowly and steadily over long periods of time
Term
Punctuated equilibrium
Definition
periods of evolution that proceeded relatively quickly
Term
Adaptive radiation
Definition
fossil records show several instances of diversity occurring in a newly evolved species in a relatively short period of time
Term
Convergent evolution
Definition
unrelated species may independently evolve superficial similarities because of adaptations to similar environments
Term
Analogous structure
Definition
structures which are similar in appearance and function but are developed from anatomically different parts
Term
Biodiversity
Definition
the variety of all the organisms the genetic information they contain, and the biological communities in which they live
Term
Ecosystem diversity
Definition
consists of the variety of habitats, living communities, and ecological processes in the living world
Term
Species diversity
Definition
refers to the enormous variety of living organisms on Earth
Term
Genetic diversity
Definition
refers to the sum total of all the different forms of genetic information carried by all organisms living on Earth
Term
Molecular clock
Definition
biological timekeepers that record how long ago living organisms shared a common ancestor
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