Evolution Key Terms

The wings of flightless birds, like the ostrich, are an example of this

• vestigial structures

• speciation

• evolution

• descent with modification

A physical trait that increases an organism’s ability to survive in its environment

• evolution

• gradualism

• speciation

• adaptation

Biological change over time that causes descendants to be different from their ancestors

• evolution

• coevolution

• divergent evolution

• punctuated equilibrium

Body structures that are similar in orientation, but completely different in function due to organisms living

in different environments

• anatomy

• vestigial structures

• analogous structures

• homologous structures

When isolation, such as geographically, causes two populations of organisms to become so different that

they can no longer reproduce with each other and create viable offspring

• divergent evolution

• speciation

• macroevolution

• convergent evolution

Organisms with traits that make them better adapted to their environment will live longer and reproduce

more than organisms less adapted to the environment

• arbitrary selection

• sexual selection

• natural selection

• artificial selection

Remnants of organisms such as imprints, bones, and feces

• broken dreams

• fossils

• garbage

• zombies

Similar body structures, such as fins, due to organisms living in the same environment, not same ancestry

• analogous structures

• homologous structures

• vestigial structures

• extinct structures

Study of the physical distribution of plants and animals

• biogeography

• physics

• statistics

• embryology

The law of superposition states

• the oldest rock layer is on the top, the younger rock layer is on the bottom
• rock layers are always in sequence from oldest to youngest
• the youngest rock layer is on the bottom and the oldest is on the top
• the oldest layer is on the bottom and the youngest is on the top when it is undisturbed

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4