Origin of Life
These were the types of molecules produced in the Miller-Urey experiment.
What are Organic molecules (amino acids)
This type of evidence uses preserved remains found in rock layers.
What is the fossil record?
Natural selection acts on these rather than on individuals.
What are populations?
This mechanism introduces new alleles by changing DNA sequences.
What is mutation?
This is an inherited trait that increases survival or reproduction in a specific environment.
What is an adaptation?
Earth’s early oceans were sometimes called this because they contained many organic compounds.
What is primordial soup?
These structures have similar bone patterns but may serve different functions.
What are homologous structures?
This term describes organisms producing more offspring than can survive.
What is overproduction?
This mechanism involves the movement of individuals between populations.
What is gene flow?
This term refers to the formation of new species.
What is speciation?
These cell-like structures surrounded by membranes may have been precursors to true cells.
What are protocells?
This field compares DNA and protein sequences between species.
What is molecular biology?
This phrase describes individuals with advantageous traits surviving and reproducing more successfully.
What is differential reproductive success?
This mechanism changes allele frequencies due to random events, especially in small populations.
What is genetic drift?
This must occur for two populations to become separate species.
What is reproductive isolation?
This theory explains that mitochondria and chloroplasts were once free-living bacteria.
What is the endosymbiotic theory?
This evidence comes from the study of embryos and early development.
What is embryology?
This condition of natural selection refers to competition for limited resources.
What is the struggle to survive?
These two processes are special forms of genetic drift involving population reduction or colonization.
What are the bottleneck effect and the founder effect?
This is why genetic variation is necessary for evolution to occur.
What allows natural selection and adaptation?
This is the correct order: organic molecules → ___ → complex cells.
What are protocells?
Darwin’s finches evolving different beaks on different islands illustrate this type of evidence.
What is biogeography?
In a dark forest, birds eat more light-colored moths than dark-colored moths over many generations.
What are dark moths becoming more common?
This process reshuffles alleles during meiosis but does not create new ones.
What is genetic recombination?
Any two of these processes can change allele frequencies in populations.
What are natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, or gene flow?