Chapter 3: Evolution
Quizlet:
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Glossary Figure
absolute dating:
a method of determining the age of a fossil, by measuring the amount of
radioactivity remaining in the rock surrounding the fossil
adaptation:
a characteristic or behaviour of a species that allows it to survive and
reproduce more effectively
allotropic speciation:
a form of speciation where a new species arises after a population becomes
geographically isolated by a physical barrier, which prevents gene flow
amino acids:
small molecules that make up proteins
analogous structures:
structures in organisms of different species that have the same function but
are structurally different, because they evolved independently, for example,
wings in birds and bats
artificial selection:
when humans breed organisms that have desirable traits, increasing the
likelihood of that trait occurring in the next generation
Binary fission:
a form of asexual reproduction used by bacteria; the splitting of a parent cell
into two equal daughter cells
biodiversity:
the variety of life; the different plants, animals and microorganisms and the
ecosystems they live in
convergent evolution:
the process whereby unrelated organisms evolve to have similar
characteristics as a result of adapting to similar environments
diverge:
in relation to two species: to become more different over time due to different
selection pressures, possibly becoming reproductively isolated
evolution:
the gradual change in the genetic material of a population of organisms over a
period of time.
evolutionary relationship:
the way in which two species or populations are related with respect to their
evolutionary descent
fossil:
the remains or traces of an organism that existed in the past
fossilisation:
the process of an organism becoming a fossil
gene flow:
the flow of genes from one generation to the next, or from one population to
the next, as different families or groups in the population choose partners and
mate
gene pool:
all the genes or alleles in a population
half-life:
the time it takes the radioactivity in a substance to decrease by half
homologous structure:
a structure that is similar in different species, because those species evolved
from a common ancestor, but do not necessarily have the same function now;
an example is forelimbs in different mammal species
horizontal transfer:
the transfer of genetic material (usually containing antibiotic resistance) from
a bacterium to another bacterium that is not its offspring
isolation:
the division of a population into two groups
living fossil:
an existing species of ancient lineage that has remained unchanged in form for
a very long time
natural selection:
when the natural environment selects for or against a physical characteristic
phylogenetic tree:
a branching tree-like diagram showing relationships between different
taxonomic groups
protein:
a chain of amino acids; an essential part of cells
relative dating:
a method of determining the age of an object relative to events that occurred
before and after
selective pressure:
the environmental factors that affect an organism's ability to survive
speciation:
the process that results in the formation of a new species
transitional fossil:
a fossil or an organism that shows an intermediate state between an ancestral
form and its descendants; also known as a 'missing link'