Biology Chapter 11: Evolution

The process where nature favors traits that help organisms survive and reproduce.

Variation, Heredity, Overproduction, Differential Success: These are rules of the game for natural selection to work.

Change in heritable traits in a population over time.

Small changes in a population over generations (like allele frequency).

Big changes that lead to new species.

A group of the same species that live in the same place and can breed together.

Humans picking desired traits, such as in domesticated animals.

A long-term study that illustrates natural selection, showing how environmental changes influence the traits of finches.

When unrelated organisms evolve similar features or behaviors to solve similar problems.

Similar structures in different species that share a common ancestor.

Similar structures in different species that have similar functions but DO NOT share a common ancestor.

A change in DNA that introduces new genetic variation.

The movement of genes between populations through migration and reproduction.

Random changes in allele frequencies, often due to random events.

Non-random mating where traits are favored for reproduction but may not be beneficial for survival

A favored trait that spreads through a population via natural selection, increasing survival and reproduction in a given environment.

Body parts with no apparent function, remnants from ancestors.

Anatomy and embryology reveal similar structures, suggesting common ancestors.

Similar DNA sequences between species indicate closer evolutionary relationships.

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Mechanisms that prevent different species from producing fertile offspring.

New species evolve when populations are geographically isolated.

New species evolve without geographic separation, due to other factors.

Rapid diversification of a lineage into many new species with different adaptations.

The study of the physical form and structure of organisms, including their internal and external features.

A group of organisms that includes a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Also known as a clade.

A group of organisms that does not include the most recent common ancestor of its members. The members may have separate ancestors.

A group of organisms that includes a common ancestor but does not include all of its descendants.

A principle in phylogenetics that suggests the simplest explanation for evolutionary relationships is the most likely.

DNA and protein sequences used to reconstruct evolutionary relationships.

The preserved remains of ancient organisms that provide information about past life and evolution.

Similarities in how organisms develop can reveal evolutionary relationships.

A group of organisms that includes a common ancestor and all its descendants.

Two groups or species that are each other's closest relatives, sharing an immediate common ancestor.

The most recent point in evolutionary history from which all taxa in a set are descended.

Represents the oldest common ancestor of all taxa in the tree, indicating the direction of time from ancestral to derived traits.

Traits derived from a common ancestor, possibly with different functions in modern organisms.

Traits with similar functions but no shared evolutionary origin, due to convergent evolution.

A system of naming species using two Latin names: genus (uppercase) and species (lowercase), e.g., Homo sapiens. This provides a universal standard, preventing confusion between different languages and regions.

Two major groups of single-celled organisms without a nucleus. Bacteria have peptidoglycan in their cell wall, while Archaea lack it and thrive in extreme environments.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic bacteria that released oxygen during the Great Oxidation Event, changing Earth's early atmosphere. Stromatolites are fossilized structures formed by cyanobacteria.

Organisms that thrive in extreme environments with high temperatures, salinity, or other harsh conditions.

Asexual reproduction in which a single bacterium divides into two identical daughter cells.

Pathogenic: Disease-causing organisms. Pandemic: Global epidemic. Epidemic: Disease affecting many people in a region.

Using microorganisms to clean up contaminated environments by breaking down pollutants.

Commensalism: One species benefits without harming the other (e.g., a bird's nest on a tree). Parasitism: One species lives at the expense of its host (e.g., fleas and ticks).