Natural Selection
the differential survival and reproduction of individuals in a population
Populations
process by which populations adapt to varying environments
Microevolution
- changes that occur within a species and the characteristics of a population
- easily observed, relatively non-controversial
Macroevolution
- changes that occur, as a result of microevolution, over long periods of time and result in the origin of new species
- controversial among non-biologists
Theory of Evolution
all species present on earth today are descendants of a single common ancestor, and all species represent the product of millions of years of accumulated evolutionary changes
Biological Classification
implies common ancestry
Anatomical Homology
- mammalian forelimbs have the same set of bones
- the underlying structure is similar despite the very different functions
Vestigial Traits
traits that function in one organism, but are greatly reduced in others
Molecular Clock
allows the use of DNA sequence differences between species to determine when they diverged from their common ancestor
Biogeography
the distribution of species on earth
Fossils
remains of living organisms left in soil or rock
Fossilization
the formation of fossils
Half-Life
the rate of decay is measured through the element’s of half-life
