07.1 Vocabulary

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Abrupt appearance

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A new species or group of organisms appears suddenly in the fossil record, often within a relatively short geological time frame.

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Analogous structures

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Structures with similar function, but differing anatomical structure that evolved as a result of convergent evolution and do not indicate recent common ancestry.

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Anatomical homologies

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The study and comparison of similarities in anatomical structures between species of organisms which indicate common ancestry.

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Ancestor

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An organism or group of organisms from whom a specific species of organisms has descended.

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Common ancestry

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The idea that all living organisms are descended from one or a few original ancestors from whom they inherited specific traits.

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Descendant

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An organism that is directly related to a previous ancestral generation.

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Evidence

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The available body of factors or information supporting or rejecting a specific scientific theory.

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Evolution

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A change in the allele frequency within a population over many generations.

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Fossil record

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The chronological collection of the preserved remains of organisms in sedimentary rock layers which can show evolutionary changes over time, or be used for relative dating of organisms.

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Fossils

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Preserved parts or traces of animals and plants that lived in the past.