| Term | Definition |
|---|
| analogous structure | structures that do not have a common evolutionary origin but are similar in function |
| artificial selection | process of breeding organisms with specific traits in order to produce offspring with identical traits |
| camouflage | structural adaptation that enables species to blend with their surroundings; allows a species to avoid detection by predators |
| embryo | earliest stage of growth and development of both plants and animals |
| homologous structure | structures with common evolutionary origins |
| mimicry | structural adaptation that enables on species to resemble another species; may provide protection from predators or other advantages |
| natural selection | mechanisms for change in populations |
| vestigial structure | a structure in a present- day organism that no longer works its natural purpose, but probably useful to an ancestor; provides evidence for evolution |
| adaptive radiation | divergent evolution in which ancesral species evolve into an array of species to fit a number of diverse habitats |
| allelic frequency | percentage of any specific allele in a population's gene pool |
| gene pool | all of the alleles in a population's genes |
| genetic drift | alteration of allelic frequencies in a population by chance events |
| divergent evolution | evolution which species that once were similar to an ancestral species diverge |
| convergent evolution | evolution in which distantly related organims evolve similar tratis |
| genetic equilibrium | conditions in which the frequency of alleles in a population remains the same over generations |
| polyploid | any species with multiple sets of the normal set of chromosomes |
| punctuated equilibrium | idea that periods of specation occur relatively quickly with long periods of genetic equilibrium in between |
| stabilizing selection | natural selection that favors average individuals in a population; results in a decline in population variation |
| speciation | process of evolution of new species that occurs when members of similar populations no longer interbreed to produce fertile offspring within their natural environment |
Combine with other sets
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