Glossary of terms:
Natural Selection- the gradual process by which individuals with inherited characteristics well suited to the environment leave more offspring on average than do other individuals
Evolution- all of the changes that have transformed life over an immense time
Adaptation- inherited characteristic that improves an organisms ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment
Homologous structures- similar structures among related species
Vestigial structure- homologous structures that have a major function in one species but not in a related species
Variation- differences among members of the same species
Artificial Selection- selective breeding of plant and animals to produce offspring with traits that humans value
Gene Pool- consists of all of the alleles in all the individuals of a population
Genetic Drift- change in a gene pool due to chance
Gene Flow- exchange of genes with another population
Fitness- contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation compared to the contribution of other individuals
Cladistics- branch of evolution that analyzes evolutionary relationships between groups to construct their family tree
Cladogram- a chart that shows an organism’s evolutionary history
Natural Selection- the gradual process by which individuals with inherited characteristics well suited to the environment leave more offspring on average than do other individuals
Evolution- all of the changes that have transformed life over an immense time
Adaptation- inherited characteristic that improves an organisms ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment
Homologous structures- similar structures among related species
Vestigial structure- homologous structures that have a major function in one species but not in a related species
Variation- differences among members of the same species
Artificial Selection- selective breeding of plant and animals to produce offspring with traits that humans value
Gene Pool- consists of all of the alleles in all the individuals of a population
Genetic Drift- change in a gene pool due to chance
Gene Flow- exchange of genes with another population
Fitness- contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation compared to the contribution of other individuals
Cladistics- branch of evolution that analyzes evolutionary relationships between groups to construct their family tree
Cladogram- a chart that shows an organism’s evolutionary history