| Term | Definition |
|---|
| natural selection | the mechanism for evolution |
| evolutionary adaptation | natural selection leads to ___________ ___________, as individuals with beneficial heritable traits leave more offspring, and the frequency of such traits in a population increases over generations |
| evolution | the changes in a population's genetic composition over time |
| taxonomy | the branch of biology that names and classifies organisms; originated in the work of Linnaeus |
| fossils | ______ are remnants or impressions of past organisms |
| paleontology | the study of fossils |
| catastrophism | Cuvier believed in ___________; he maintained that the differences he observed in the fossils found in different strata were the result of locat catastrophic events such as floods or drought and were not indicative of evolution |
| gradualism | the idea that immense change is the cumulative result tof slow but continuous processes; proposed by Hutton |
| artificial selection | humans have modified other species over many generations by selecting and breeding individuals that posses desired traits - __________ __________ |
| homology | similarity in characteristics resulting from a shared ancestry |
| homologous structures | the arms, forelegs, flippers, and wings of different mammals are ________ _________ that represent variations on a structural theme that was present in their common ancestry |
| vestigial organs | some of the most intriguing homologous structures are _____ _________, structures of marginal importance to the organism |
| biogeography | the study of the past and present distribution of species |
| endemic | plants and animals found nowhere else in the world |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace