ap biology terms evolution
ap bio evolution terms
Terms
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- sympatric speciation
- the formation of a new species as a result of a genetic change that produces a reproductive barrier between the changed population (mutants) and the parent population
- gene drift
- Random variation in gene frequency from one generation to another.
- macroevolution
- Large-scale evolution occurring over geologic time that results in the formation of new taxonomic groups.
- stabilizing selection
- natural selection that favors immediate variants by acting against extreme phenotypes
- puntuated equilibrium
- idea that speciation occurs in spurts followed by long periods of little change
- Endosymbiotic theory
- concerns the origins of mitochondria and plastids (e.g. chloroplasts), which are organelles of eukaryotic cells. According to this theory, these organelles originated as separate prokaryotic organisms which were taken inside the cell as endosymbionts. Mitochondria developed from proteobacteria (in particular, Rickettsiales or close relatives) and chloroplasts from cyanobacteria
- J.B.S. Haldane
- established the relationship of Mendelian genetics to evolution; estimating spontaneous mutation rates through the observation of harmful or sex-linked genes in populations
- evolution
- genetic change in a population or species over generations; all the changes that transform life on Earth; the heritable changes that have produced the Earth's diversity in organisms
- coevolution
- The evolution of two or more interdependent species, each adapting to changes in the other.
- phylogeny
- the evolutionary history of a group of organisms
- hybrid vigor
- increased vitality (compared to that of either parent stock) in the hybrid offspring of two different, inbred parents.
- allopatric speciation
- the formation of new species as a result fo an ancestral population's becoming isolated by a geographical barrier
- disruptive selection
- natural selection that favors extreme over intermediate phenotypes
- lamarck
- lunar crater in the southwest part of the Moon.
- homologous structures
- Having the same typical structure and position
- A.I. Oparin
- Russian biochemist who developed one of the first modern theories about the origin of life on Earth; abiogenesis, the spontaneous generation of life from non-living chemical substances. Oparin believed that conditions on primitive Earth were different to those of the present. He suggested that the ancient seas were like a 'primeval soup' which contained many organic compounds. These were created when sunlight, a virtually limitless source of energy, reacted with chemicals in the water. These organic compounds formed the basis of life. They combined, becoming increasingly complex, until living cells were formed
- fitness
- the contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation, relative to the contribution of other individuals in the population
- microevolution
- Evolution resulting from a succession of relatively small genetic variations that often cause the formation of new subspecies.
- adaptation
- In the evolutionary sense, some heritable feature of an individual's phenotype that improves its chances of survival and reproduction in the existing environment.
- nonrandom mating
- A mating system in which there is not an equal opportunity for all male and female gametes to join in fertilization.
- comparative anatomy
- The investigation and comparison of the structures of different animals.
- biogeography
- the study of past and present distribution of species
- polymorphism
- The occurrence in a population (or among populations) of several phenotypic forms associated with alleles of one gene or homologs of one chromosome. See genetic polymorphism.
- directional selection
- natural selection that acts against the rleatively rare individuals at one end of a phenotypic range
- speciation
- evolution of a new species
- phyletic gradualism
- The process of gradual evolutionary change over time.
- sexual selection
- The forces determined by mate choice acting to cause one genotype to mate more frequently than another genotype.
- paleontology
- The study of the fossil record of past geological periods and of the phylogenetic relationships between ancient and contemporary plant and animal species.
- Stanley Miller
- theorized that the early atmosphere of the Earth was probably like the atmosphere now present on Jupiter --i.e., rich in ammonia, methane, and hydrogen.
- artificial selection
- selective breeding of domesticated plants and animals to promote the occurence of desirable inherited traits in offsprings
- natural selection
- The process in nature whereby one genotype leaves more offspring than another genotype because of superior life history attributes ( fitness)such as survival or fecundity.
- analogous structures
- features of different species that are similar in function but not necessarily in structure and which do not derive from a common ancestral feature (compare to homologous structures) and which evolved in response to a similar environmental challenge
- convergent evolution
- The development through evolution of similar features by organisms with distinctly different ancestors
- embryology
- study of embryogenesis, the development of animals and plants from fertilization to birth/hatching.
- bottleneck
- An activity for which the work equals or exceeds the capacity of the activity; structural models of attention, a certain point in the central nervous system through which the passage of information is restricted.
- divergent evolution
- when two or more biological characteristics have a common evolutionary origin but have diverged over evolutionary time. This is also known as adaptation or adaptive evolution.
- parallel evolution
- Evolution of similar characteristics in different groups of organisms.
- adaptive radiation
- the emergence of numerous species from a common ancestor introduced to new and diverse environments
- chemical evolution
- The formation of complex organic molecules from simpler inorganic molecules through chemical reactions in the oceans during the early history of the Earth; the first step in the development of life on this planet.
- diploidy
- The state or condition of being diploid (having each chromosome in two copies per nucleus or cell)