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AP Biology: Evolution Flashcards

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6481752207homologous structuresstructures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry0
6481752208vestigial structuresremnants of features that served important functions in the the organism's ancestors1
6481752209convergent evolutionthe independent evolution of similar features in different lineages2
6481752210Hardy-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
6481752211gene poolthe aggregate of all of the alleles for all of the loci in individuals in a population4
6481752212populationa group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed, producing fertile offspring5
6481752213natural selectiona process in which organisms with certain inherited characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce than are organisms with other characteristics6
6481752214genetic driftchanges in the gene pool due to random events7
6481752215founder 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
6481752216bottleneck 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
6481752217gene flowthe transfer of alleles into or out of a population due to the movement of fertile individuals or their gametes10
6481752218directional 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
6481752219disruptive selectionwhen conditions favor individuals at both extremes of a phenotypic range over individuals with intermediate phenotypes12
6481752220stabilizing selectionacts against both extreme phenotypes and favors intermediate variants13
6481752221sexual selectiona form of natural selection in which individuals with certain inherited characteristics are more likely than other individuals to obtain mates14
6481752222sexual 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
6481752223diploidythe state of being diploid, that is having two sets of chromosomes16
6481752224heterozygote advantagewhen individuals who are heterozygous at a particular locus have greater fitness than do both kind of homozygous17
6481752225frequency-dependent selectionfitness of a phenotype declines if it becomes too common in the population18
6481752226speciationthe process by which one species splits into two or more species19
6481752227microevolutionchanges over time in allele frequencies in a population20
6481752228macroevolutionthe broad pattern of evolution over long time spans21
6481752229speciesa 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
6481752230reproductive isolationthe existance of biological barriers that impede members of two species from producing viable offspring23
6481752231hybridsoffspring that result from interspecific mating24
6481752232prezygotic barriersimpede mating or hinder fertilization if mating occurs (five types: habitat, temporal, behavioral, mechanical, gametic)25
6481752233post zygotic barriersprevents hybrid zygote from developing into a viable fertile adult through reducing hybrid viability, reducing hybrid fertility, or hybrid breakdown26
6481752234allopatric speciationgene flow is interrupted when a population is divided into geographically isolated subpopulations27
6481752235sympatric speciationspeciation occurs in populations that live in the same geographic area (usually occurs due to polyploidy, habitat differentiation, and sexual selection)28
6481752236polyploidyextra sets of chromosomes due to accidents during cell division29
6481752239punctuated equilibriumthe theory that in the evolution there are long periods of little morphological change punctuated by relatively short periods of significant change30
6481752242endosymbiosismitochondria and chloroplasts were formally small prokaryotes that began living within larger cells31
6481752243adaptive radiationPeriod of evolutionary change in which groups of organisms form many new species whose adaptations allow them to fill vacant ecological roles in their communities32
6481752244homeotic 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 arranged33
6481752245phylogenythe evolutionary history of a species or group of species34
6481752246systematicsstudy and classification of biodiversity and determining their evolutionary relationships35
6481752247phylogenetic treeevolutionary history of a group of organisms represented in a branching diagram36
6481752248analogysimilarity due to convergent evolution37
6481752249homologysimilarity due to shared ancestry38
6481752250cladea group of species which includes an ancestral species and all of its descendants39
6481752251outgroupa species or group of species from an evolutionary lineage that is known to have diverged before the lineage that includes the species we are studying40
6481752252maximum 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 facts41
6481752255Darwin's Theory (five parts)1. Variation 2. Overproduction 3. Competition 4. Survival of the fittest 5. Overtime, emergence of new species (new alleles)42
6481752256Cryptic speciesSpecies which look almost identical but that are very different in other traits43
6481752257MonophyleticA branch on a phylogenetic tree that contains all decscendants of a common ancestor44
6481752258Abiogenesisorigin of life from nonliving matter45
6481752259abiotic synthesisformation of organic molecules from inorganic material46
6481752262ozone shieldprotect organisms from harmful UV rays47
6481752263geologic timescaledivision of the history of Earth into eras, periods and epochs48
6481752264extinctiontotal disappearance of all members of a species49
6481752265mass extinctiontotal disappearance of a large number a species within a few million years50
6481752266extantstill in existance51
6481752267fitnessability to produce surviving offspring52
6481752268morphological species conceptnew species differ by physical characteristics known as diagnostic traits53
6481752269evolutionary species conceptmembers of a species share distinct evolutionary pathway and common traits54
6481752270phylogenetic species concepta family tree is used to identify species based on a common ancestor55
6481752271biological species conceptspecies are identified as separate because of reproductive isolation.56
6481752272plate tectonicsbranch of geology which follows the movement of pieces of Earth's crust which float on a lower, hot mantle layer57
6481752273continental driftchange over time of the positions of the continents58
6481752274fossilremains and traces of evidence of past life59
6481752275paleontologystudy of the fossil record60
6481752276index fossilsfossils used to identify deposits made at apparently the same time in different parts of the world, used for relative dating61
6481752277absolute datingrelies on radiometric dating to assign an age to a fossil62

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