AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Biology Evolution Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
6458821897homologous structuresstructures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry0
6458821898vestigial structuresremnants of features that served important functions in the the organism's ancestors1
6458821899convergent evolutionthe independent evolution of similar features in different lineages2
6458821900Hardy-Weinbergthe frequencies of alleles and genotypes in a population will remain constant from generation to generation, provided that only Mendelian segregation and recombination of alleles are at work3
6458821901gene poolthe aggregate of all of the alleles for all of the loci in individuals in a population4
6458821902populationa group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed, producing fertile offspring5
6458821903natural selectiona process in which organisms with certain inherited characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than are organisms with other characteristics6
6458821904genetic driftchanges in the gene pool due to random events7
6458821905founder effectwhen a individuals become isolated from a larger population, this smaller group may establish a new population whose gene pool differs from the source population8
6458821906bottleneck effectwhen there is a severe drop in population size, certain alleles may be overrepresented among the survivors, others may be underrepresented, and some may be absent altogether9
6458821907gene flowthe transfer of alleles into or out of a population due to the movement of fertile individuals or their gametes10
6458821908directional selectionwhen conditions favor individuals exhibiting one extreme of a phenotypic range, thereby shifting the frequency curve for the phenotypic character in one direction or the other11
6458821909disruptive selectionwhen conditions favor individuals at both extremes of a phenotypic range over individuals with intermediate phenotypes12
6458821910stabilizing selectionacts against both extreme phenotypes and favors intermediate variants13
6458821911sexual selectiona form of natural selection in which individuals with certain inherited characteristics are more likely than other individuals to obtain mates14
6458821912sexual dimorphismmarked differences between the two sexes in secondary sexual characteristics, which are not directly associated with reproduction or survival (differences in size, color, ornamentation, and behavior)15
6458821913diploidythe state of being diploid, that is having two sets of chromosomes16
6458821914heterozygote advantagewhen individuals who are heterozygous at a particular locus have greater fitness than do both kind of homozygous17
6458821915frequency-dependent selectionfitness of a phenotype declines if it becomes too common in the population18
6458821916speciationthe process by which one species splits into two or more species19
6458821917microevolutionchanges over time in allele frequencies in a population20
6458821918macroevolutionthe broad pattern of evolution over long time spans21
6458821919speciesa group of populations whose members have the potential to interbreed in nature and produce viable, fertile offspring- but do not produce viable, fertile offspring with members of other such groups22
6458821920reproductive isolationthe existance of biological barriers that impede members of two species from producing viable offspring23
6458821921hybridsoffspring that result from interspecific mating24
6458821922prezygotic barriersimpede mating or hinder fertilization if mating occurs (five types: habitat, temporal, behavioral, mechanical, gametic)25
6458821923post zygotic barriersprevents hybrid zygote from developing into a viable fertile adult through reducing hybrid viability, reducing hybrid fertility, or hybrid breakdown26
6458821924allopatric speciationgene flow is interrupted when a population is divided into geographically isolated subpopulations27
6458821925sympatric speciationspeciation occurs in populations that live in the same geographic area (usually occurs due to polyploidy, habitat differentiation, and sexual selection)28
6458821929punctuated equilibriumthe theory that in the evolution there are long periods of little morphological change punctuated by relatively short periods of significant change29
6458821930ribozymeRNA that can also carry out a number of enzyme-like catalytic functions30
6458821931protobiontscollections of abiotically produced molecules surrounded by a membrane-like structure with simple chemical reactions (precursor of prokaryotic cells)31
6458821932endosymbiosismitochondria and chloroplasts were formally small prokaryotes that began living within larger cells32
6458821933adaptive radiationPeriod of evolutionary change in which groups of organisms form many new species whose adaptations allow them to fill vacant ecological roles in their communities33
6458821934homeotic genesmaster regulatory genes that determine such basic features as where a pair of wings and a pair of legs will develop on a bird or how a plant's flower parts are arranged34
6458821935phylogenythe evolutionary history of a species or group of species35
6458821936systematicsstudy and classification of biodiversity and determining their evolutionary relationships36
6458821937phylogenetic treeevolutionary history of a group of organisms represented in a branching diagram37
6458821938analogysimilarity due to convergent evolution38
6458821939homologysimilarity due to shared ancestry39
6458821940cladea group of species which includes an ancestral species and all of its descendants40
6458821941outgroupa species or group of species from an evolutionary lineage that is known to have diverged before the lineage that includes the species we are studying41
6458821944horizontal gene transfera process in which genes are transferred from one genome to another through mechanisms such as exchange of transposable elements and plasmids, viral infection and perhaps fusion of organisms42
6458821945Darwin's Theory (five parts)1. Variation 2. Overproduction 3. Competition 4. Survival of the fittest 5. Overtime, emergence of new species (new alleles)43

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!