Genetics
This term refers to the physical expression of a gene in an organism.
What is a phenotype?
The study of these reveals similarities between ancient and modern species, often showing evolutionary links.
What are fossils?
This term refers to any characteristic that enables an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.
What is an adaptation?
If both parents have a dominant trait, but their offspring display a recessive trait, this kind of inheritance can occur.
What is incomplete dominance?
The physical evidence of ancient life forms preserved in a rock is known as this.
What are fossils?
A combination of alleles that an individual possesses for a particular trait.
What is a genotype?
The forelimbs of humans, whales, and bats exhibit these characteristics, suggesting a common ancestry.
What are homologous structures?
These are changes in the genetic material that can provide an advantage in a given environment.
What are mutations?
This is the variety of traits observed in a population due to genetic variation.
What is a phenotype variation?
Comparative anatomy studies organisms for shared parts that reflect a common ancestor, like these features.
What are homologous structures?
This type of trait only shows up when two copies are present (homozygous).
What is a recessive trait?
Many embryos of different species exhibit similar early developmental stages, indicating a common ancestry.
What are embryological similarities?
A population that has developed resistance against a common pesticide demonstrates this evolutionary process.
What is natural selection?
Traits like eye color and height in humans are examples of this kind of genetic influence.
What is polygenic inheritance?
The genetic information shared between organisms of different species can be analyzed in this form.
What is DNA?
When one allele masks the effect of another, it's known as this type of trait.
What is a dominant trait?
This molecular evidence can show how closely related different species are based on their genetic material.
What is DNA sequencing?
A trait that improves an organism's chance of survival, like a giraffe's long neck, is often described as this.
What are the fitness advantages?
What is a phenotype?
Many vertebrate embryos exhibit similar structures in early development, termed this.
What are embryonic similarities?
A change in the DNA sequence that can lead to new traits.
What is a mutation?
The study of these often reveals that species share a common ancestor, despite different environments.
What are evolutionary adaptations?
When mutations are beneficial, they can lead to this increase in a population's adaptation to its environment.
What is evolutionary change?
In genetics, traits that appear in different forms, such as flower color in pea plants, are called this.
What are alleles?
Paleontologists often look for these types of transitional fossils to demonstrate evolutionary change.
What is common ancestry?