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AP Biology: Evolution Flashcards

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9601838881homologous structuresstructures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry0
9601838882vestigial structuresremnants of features that served important functions in the the organism's ancestors1
9601838883convergent evolutionthe independent evolution of similar features in different lineages2
9601838884Hardy-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
9601838885gene poolthe aggregate of all of the alleles for all of the loci in individuals in a population4
9601838886populationa group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed, producing fertile offspring5
9601838887natural selectiona process in which organisms with certain inherited characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than are organisms with other characteristics6
9601838888genetic driftchanges in the gene pool due to random events7
9601838889founder 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
9601838890bottleneck 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
9601838891gene flowthe transfer of alleles into or out of a population due to the movement of fertile individuals or their gametes10
9601838892directional 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
9601838893disruptive selectionwhen conditions favor individuals at both extremes of a phenotypic range over individuals with intermediate phenotypes12
9601838894stabilizing selectionacts against both extreme phenotypes and favors intermediate variants13
9601838895sexual selectiona form of natural selection in which individuals with certain inherited characteristics are more likely than other individuals to obtain mates14
9601838896sexual 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
9601838897diploidythe state of being diploid, that is having two sets of chromosomes16
9601838898heterozygote advantagewhen individuals who are heterozygous at a particular locus have greater fitness than do both kind of homozygous17
9601838899frequency-dependent selectionfitness of a phenotype declines if it becomes too common in the population18
9601838900speciationthe process by which one species splits into two or more species19
9601838901microevolutionchanges over time in allele frequencies in a population20
9601838902macroevolutionthe broad pattern of evolution over long time spans21
9601838903speciesa 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
9601838904reproductive isolationthe existance of biological barriers that impede members of two species from producing viable offspring23
9601838905hybridsoffspring that result from interspecific mating24
9601838908allopatric speciationgene flow is interrupted when a population is divided into geographically isolated subpopulations25
9601838909sympatric speciationspeciation occurs in populations that live in the same geographic area (usually occurs due to polyploidy, habitat differentiation, and sexual selection)26
9601838910polyploidyextra sets of chromosomes due to accidents during cell division27
9601838912endosymbiosismitochondria and chloroplasts were formally small prokaryotes that began living within larger cells28
9601838913adaptive radiationPeriod of evolutionary change in which groups of organisms form many new species whose adaptations allow them to fill vacant ecological roles in their communities29
9601838914homeotic 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 arranged30
9601838915phylogenythe evolutionary history of a species or group of species31
9601838917phylogenetic treeevolutionary history of a group of organisms represented in a branching diagram32
9601838918analogysimilarity due to convergent evolution33
9601838919homologysimilarity due to shared ancestry34
9601838920cladea group of species which includes an ancestral species and all of its descendants35
9601838921outgroupa species or group of species from an evolutionary lineage that is known to have diverged before the lineage that includes the species we are studying36
9601838922maximum parsimony (Ockham's Theory)a principle that states that when considering multiple explanations for an observation, one should first investigate the simplest explanation that is consistent with the facts37
9601838923Darwin's Theory (five parts)1. Variation 2. Overproduction 3. Competition 4. Survival of the fittest 5. Overtime, emergence of new species (new alleles)38
9601838925MonophyleticA branch on a phylogenetic tree that contains all decscendants of a common ancestor39
9601838926Abiogenesisorigin of life from nonliving matter40
9601838928ozone shieldprotect organisms from harmful UV rays41
9601838929geologic timescaledivision of the history of Earth into eras, periods and epochs42
9601838930extinctiontotal disappearance of all members of a species43
9601838931mass extinctiontotal disappearance of a large number a species within a few million years44
9601838932extantstill in existance45
9601838934morphological species conceptnew species differ by physical characteristics known as diagnostic traits46
9601838935evolutionary species conceptmembers of a species share distinct evolutionary pathway and common traits47
9601838936phylogenetic species concepta family tree is used to identify species based on a common ancestor48
9601838937biological species conceptspecies are identified as separate because of reproductive isolation.49
9601838938plate tectonicsbranch of geology which follows the movement of pieces of Earth's crust which float on a lower, hot mantle layer50
9601838939continental driftchange over time of the positions of the continents51
9601838940fossilremains and traces of evidence of past life52
9601838941paleontologystudy of the fossil record53
9601838942index fossilsfossils used to identify deposits made at apparently the same time in different parts of the world, used for relative dating54
9601838943absolute datingrelies on radiometric dating to assign an age to a fossil55

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