Evolution Vocab

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Camouflage

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An animal's natural coloring or form that enables it to blend in with its surroundings.

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Sympatric Speciation

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The formation of new species in populations that live in the same geographic area.

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Punctuated Equilibrium

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A pattern of evolution in which long stable periods are interrupted by brief periods of more rapid change.

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Founder Effect

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Genetic drift that occurs when a few individuals become isolated from a larger population and form a new population whose gene pool composition is not reflective of that of the original population.

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Prezygotic Isolating Mechanism

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Prevents reproduction by making fertilization unlikely.

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Directional Selection

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A mode of natural selection in which a single phenotype is favored, causing the allele frequency to shift in one direction.

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Mimicry

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The phenomenon where one species evolves to resemble another species for protection or other advantages.

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Homologous Structures

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Anatomical features in different species that share a common ancestry, even if they have different functions.

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Allopatric Speciation

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The formation of new species in populations that are geographically isolated from one another.

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Genetic Drift

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Random changes in allele frequencies in a population, which can lead to significant changes over time.