Biology Chapters 13 and 14
Terms
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- Evolution
- The process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms biotch
- Fitness
- The combonation of physical traits and behaviors that helps organisms survive and reproduce in their enviorment
- Common Descent
- Idea that species have descended from common ancestors
- Adaptation
- process that enables organisms to become better suited to their enviorments.
- Fossils
- the preserved remains of ancient organisms
- Absolute Dating
- method of measuring rates of decay of radioactive materials to determine how long ago an event occured or an organism lived.
- Embryo
- Organism at an early stage of development.
- Epoch
- Interval of time in a geologic time scale.
- Era
- Largest interval of time in a geologic time scale.
- Fossil
- Preserved remains of evidence of an ancient organism.
- Fossil Record
- Collection of fossils that represents the preserved collective history of the Earths organisms.
- Geological Time Scale
- Record of the history of life determined by the positions of layers of rock.
- Half Life
- Length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
- Homologous
- Description of choromosomes that occur in pairs; having a corresponding structure.
- Period
- Interval in a geologic time scale that is composed of epochs.
- Radioactive Element
- Unstable element that decays into a stable element at a steady rate.
- Relative Dating
- Technique used to determine the age of fossils by comparing them with other fossils in different layers of rock.
- Sedimentary Rock
- Rock that forms when grains of eroded rock and other materials are carried to the bottom of a body of water and build up under the pressure into layers.
- Vestigial Organ
- Structure that serves no useful purpose or function in an organism.
- Structure
- *still have to find out*
- Adaptive Radiation
- Process, also known as divergent evolution, in which one species gives rise to many species that appear different externally but are similar internally.
- Analogous Structures
- Structures that are similar in apperance and structure but have different origins and usually different internal structures.
- Artificial Selection
- Technique in which the intervention of humans allows only selected organisms to produce offspring.
- Convergent Evolution
- Phenomenom in which adaptive radiations among different organisms produce species that are similar in apperance and behavior; opposite of divergent evolution.
- Divergent Evolution
- Pattern of evolution, also known as adaptive radiation, in which one species gives rise to many species that appear different externallu but are similar internally.
- Equilibrium
- State in which no net change occurs.
- Gene Pool
- Common group of genes shared by members of a population
- Gradualism
- Theory that evolutionary change occurs slowly and gradually.
- Mass Extinction
- Phenomenom in which many species suddenly vanish
- Natural Selection
- Process in nature that results in the most fit organisms producing offspring.
- Niche
- Combination of an organisms habitat and it's role in that habitat.
- Population
- Collection of individuals of the same species in a given area whose members can breed with one another.
- Puncuated Equilbria
- Pattern of long stable periods interupted by brief periods of change.
- Relative Frequency
- Number of times an event (allele) occurs compared with the number of times another event (other alleles for the same gene) occurs.
- Reproductive Isolation
- Seperation of populations so that they do not interbreed to produce fertile off-spring.