Evolution

• Adaptation: the process by which a species changes to fit its environment
• Analogous structures: Features of species that have similar functions but are different in structures
• Cladogram/phylogram tree: A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships between organisms.
• Coevolution: 2 species in a relationship who develop traits in response to the other species
• Convergent evolution: When species that aren't closely related develop similar behaviors or features
• Darwinism: The idea that all species of organisms evolved from earlier species through natural selection.
• Divergent evolution: The process of organisms with a common ancestors evolve into different species to fit their environment
• Evolution: Organisms developing new features over time based on natural selection
• Extinction: Complete disappearance of a species from earth
• Fossil: A preserved part of an organism from the past.
• Gene pool: combination of all the genes present in a species
• Genetic variation: difference of genomes in a species
• Homologous structures: Structures that have evolved from similar ancestral structures but now serve different functions
• Hybrid: Offspring of 2 different species
• Mimic/mimicry: When a species evolved to imitate another species with distinct features
• Missing link: hypothetical extinct creature halfway in the evolutionary line between modern human beings
• Natural selection: The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more than those less well-adapted.
• Polymorphic: having several different forms
• species: a group of organisms that can breed together
• Speciation: When a group of species split from the original species to create a new one
• Sexual selection: An organism picking an organism of the opposite sex with the best traits to reproduce with
• Transitional Form: A form of life that is intermediate between two other forms.
• Geographic Isolation: The isolation of a population from other populations due to geographic barriers.
• Reproductive Isolation: Inability of related species to bred due to changes from geographical isolation
• Genetic drift: The random change in allele frequencies in a population
• Founder effect: A species separating from original species leading to less genetic diversity
• Bottleneck effect: Sharp decrease in a population, reducing genetic variation within the population
• Allopatric Speciation: When a population splits into two or more species due to geographic isolation
• Sympatric speciation: Occurs when new species evolve without any physical barrier between them
• Sexual dimorphism: Different sexs of a species have different traits
• Symbiotic relationship: Prolonged association between 2 species
• Niche: The role of an organism in an ecosystem.
• Selecting agents: Environmental factors that act on populations
• Vestigial: Something that has not finished developing or something that has become useless over time