Theories of Evolution
The theory that long ago, very simple life forms spontaneously appeared through chemical reactions
What is abiogenesis?
Change within a species or small group of organisms, especially over a short period
What is microevolution?
The ability to walk upright on two legs
What is bipedalism?
An organism that has persisted, essentially unchanged, since its first appearance
What is a living fossil?
The theory that evolution occurs slowly but steadily
What is gradualism?
Evolutionary change above the species level
What is macroevolution?
A lower jaw that projects forward
What is a prognathous jaw?
The study of evolutionary relationships using comparative genomics
What is molecular phylogeny?
The theory that species are fixed and unchanging from their origin
What is fixism?
Process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other
What is coevolution?
Imitation, simulation
What is mimesis?
Oldest known fossils formed from many layers of bacteria and sediment
What are stromatolites?
Pattern of evolution in which long stable periods are interrupted by brief periods of more rapid change
What is punctuated equilibrium?
Process by which the behaviour of individuals belonging to different species of hominids changed over time
What is humanisation?
A relationship in which one organism lives inside another
What is endosymbiosis?
Collection of droplets that are composed of lipids, amino acids, and sugars
What are coacervates?
The theory that life did not originate on Earth but arrived in the form of bacterial spores or viruses from an extraterrestrial source
What is panspermia?
Process by which unrelated organisms independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar environments
What is convergent evolution?
An evolutionary pattern in which many species evolve from a single ancestral species
What is adaptive radiation?
Hypothesis stating that life could arise from nonliving matter
What is spontaneous generation?