Unit 7 Evolution Part 2

Question 1

allopatric

Answer 1

A mode of speciation that occurs when populations are geographically separated, preventing gene flow.

Question 2

cladogram

Answer 2

A branching diagram that shows evolutionary relationships based on shared derived characteristics.

Question 3

common ancestry

Answer 3

The concept that different species share a common evolutionary origin.

Question 4

convergent evolution

Answer 4

The independent evolution of similar traits in distantly related species due to similar environmental pressures.

Question 5

divergent evolution

Answer 5

The process by which related species become more different over time, often resulting from different selective pressures.

Question 6

gradualism

Answer 6

A model of evolution proposing that species evolve through slow, continuous changes over long periods of time.

Question 7

out-group

Answer 7

A species or group used for comparison in a phylogenetic analysis that is less closely related than the ingroup.

Question 8

phylogenetic tree

Answer 8

A branching diagram that shows evolutionary relationships based on shared derived characteristics with a time scale

Question 9

punctuated equilibrium

Answer 9

A model of evolution suggesting that long periods of little change are interrupted by short periods of rapid evolution.

Question 10

reproductive isolation

Answer 10

Biological barriers that prevent different species from mating and producing viable, fertile offspring.

Question 11

RNA world hypothesis

Answer 11

A hypothesis proposing that early life was based on RNA, which could store genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions.

Question 12

speciation

Answer 12

The formation of new species from an ancestral population.

Question 13

species

Answer 13

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring under natural conditions.

Question 14

sympatric

Answer 14

A mode of speciation that occurs without geographic separation, often through reproductive isolation mechanisms.