Evolutionary Mechanisms
This mechanism refers to organisms with traits better suited to their environment survive and reproduce more often than others. i.e survival of the fittest.
What is Natural Selection?
This type of selection favors individuals at one extreme of a trait, shifting the population over time.
What is directional selection?
This type of speciation occurs when populations are separated by a physical barrier like a mountain or river.
What is Allopatric Speciation?
These preserved remains or traces of organisms show how life has changed over time.
What are fossils?
Two species evolving similar traits independently due to similar environments, not shared ancestry.
What is Convergent evolution?
This is when allele frequencies in a population change randomly, often having a bigger effect in small populations.
What is Genetic Drift?
This type of favors average traits and reduces extremes in a population.
What is stabilizing selection?
This type of speciation occurs when new species form without geographic seperation.
What is sympatric speciation?
These are body parts in different species that have similar structures due to common ancestry.
What is homologus structures?
The maximum population one ecosystem can support.
What is carrying capacity?
This is the movement of genes between populations when individuals migrate and reproduce.
What is Gene flow?
This type of selection favors both extremes of a trait while selecting against the average.
What is disruptive selection?
This is a barrier like distance or physical feature that prevent populations from interbreeding.
What is Geographic Isolation?
This is the study of early development stages that show similarities between different species.
What is Embryology?
An event that kills off much of a species, significantly reducing population and genetic diversity.
What is a genetic bottleneck?
This is a random change in DNA that can create new traits in a population.
What is a mutation?
This type of selection favors traits that improve an organisms chances of mating
What is Sexual Selection?
This type of reproductive barrier occurs when differences in mating behaviors prevent reproduction.
What is behavioral Isolation?
These are body parts that have lost most or all of their original function.
What is a vestigial structure?
A species gradually changing over time with constant change.
What is Gradualism?
This is when individuals choose mates based on certain traits, changing how genes are passed on in a population.
What is non-random mating?
This is when humans selectively breed organisms for desired traits.
What is Artificial Selection?
This type of reproductive barrier occurs when species reproduce at different times or seasons.
What is Temporal Isolation?
A physical feature between organisms that have similar functions but different structures. (Bat wings and butterfly wings)
What is an analogous structure.
You read these left to right. They show a set of species, slowly adding traits to show relation.
What is a cladogram?