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what is artificial selection?
the selective breeding of organisms by humans for specific traits and characteristics
what is analogous structure
body part that is similar in function as a body part of another organism but is structurally different
what is a Paleontologist
A scientist who studies fossils to learn about organisms that lived long ago
what is gene flow
Movement of alleles into or out of a population due to the migration of individuals to or from the population
what are population genetics
Study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of evolutionary processes.
what is fitness
ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in it's enviornment
biogeography
study of the distribution of organisms around the world
what is vestigial structure
structure that is inherited from ancestors but has lost much or all of its original function
what is a gene pool
Combined genetic information of all the members of a particular population
what is sexual dimorphism
Differences in physical characteristics between males and females of the same species.
What are the Galapagos Islands
Chain of islands near south America which is where Darwin developed his theory of natural selection by studying the unique life there
what is comparative anatomy
The comparison of body structures and how they vary among species
what is allele frequency
Number of times that an allele occurs in a gene pool compared with the number of alleles in that pool for the same gene
what is the Hardy - Weinberg theorem
Helps measure changes in allele frequencies over time. Provides an "ideal" population to use as a basis of comparison.
what is stabilizing selection
Natural selection that favors intermediate variants by acting against extreme phenotypes
what is inheritance of acquired traits?
A crucial, and incorrect, aspect of Lamarck's theory of evolution. Lamarck believed that the traits a parent acquired during its lifetime would be passed on to its offspring.
what is comparative embryology
the study of the similarities and differences in the embryos of different species
what is directional selection
occurs when natural selection favors one of the extreme variations of a trait
what is macro evolution
large-scale evolutionary changes that take place over long periods of time
what is allopatric speciation
The formation of new species in populations that are geographically isolated from one another. Kaibab squirrels
what is adaptive radiation
An evolutionary pattern in which many species evolve from a single ancestral species
what is homologous structure
Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.
what is disruptive selection
form of natural selection in which a single curve splits into two; occurs when individuals at the upper and lower ends of a distribution curve have higher fitness than individuals near the middle
what is micro evolution
evolutionary change within a species or small group of organisms, especially over a short period.
what is gradualism
A proposed explanation in evolutionary biology stating that new species arise from the result of slight modifications (mutations and resulting phenotypic changes) over many generations.