Dec 9 Bio Evol Review

Front

What are homologous structures?

Back

Structures in different species that share a common ancestry but may have different functions. Example: The forelimbs of humans and whales.

Front

What is the significance of comparing hemoglobin among species?

Back

It helps to determine evolutionary relationships; species with fewer amino acid differences in hemoglobin are more closely related.

Front

What are analogous structures?

Back

Structures that serve similar functions in different species but do not share a common ancestry. Example: The wings of birds and insects.

Front

What does allele frequency represent?

Back

The proportion of a specific allele among all allele copies in a population.

Front

What is an example of a vestigial structure?

Back

Wisdom teeth in humans, which are remnants of ancestral teeth that were useful for our ancestors.

Front

What is adaptive radiation?

Back

The process by which organisms diversify rapidly into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments.

Front

Define vestigial structures.

Back

Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution. Example: The pelvic bones in whales.

Front

What is the difference between homologous and analogous structures?

Back

Homologous structures arise from a common ancestor, while analogous structures arise independently in different species.

Front

What is a gene pool?

Back

The total collection of genes and their variants in a population.

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.