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ch 15
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19
Biology
10th Grade
12/21/2010

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Term
adaptation
Definition
the process of becoming adapted to an environment; an anatomical, physiological, or behavioral change that improves a population's ability to survive
Term
evolution
Definition
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
Term
fitness
Definition
a measurement of the ability of a species to respond to the pressures of natural selection; the ability of individuals to survive to propagate their genes
Term
natural selection
Definition
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
Term
strata
Definition
layers of rock (singular, stratum)
Term
Fossil
Definition
the trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock
Term
superposition
Definition
a principle that states that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed
Term
relative age
Definition
the age of an object in relation to the ages of other objects
Term
absolute age
Definition
the numeric age of an object or event, often stated in years before the present, as established by an absolute-dating process, such as radiometric dating
Term
biogeography
Definition
the study of the geographical distribution of living organisms and fossils on Earth
Term
homologous structures
Definition
anatomical structures that share a common ancestry
Term
analogous structure
Definition
in comparisons of different organisms, describes features that are similar in function and appearance but not in structure or origin
Term
vestigial structure
Definition
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
Term
phylogeny
Definition
the evolutionary history of a species or taxonomic group
Term
coevolution
Definition
the evolution of two or more species that is due to mutual influence, often in a way that makes the relationship more mutually beneficial
Term
convergent evolution
Definition
the process by which unrelated species become more similar as they adapt to the same kind of environment
Term
divergent evolution
Definition
the process by which two or more related but reproductively isolated populations become more and more dissimilar
Term
adaptive radiation
Definition
an evolutionary pattern in which many species evolve from a single ancestral species
Term
artificial selection
Definition
the selective breeding of organisms (by humans) for specific desirable characteristics
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