Biology Chapters 13 And 14

Front 1

Evolution

Back 1

The process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms biotch

Front 2

Fitness

Back 2

The combonation of physical traits and behaviors that helps organisms survive and reproduce in their enviorment

Front 3

Common Descent

Back 3

Idea that species have descended from common ancestors

Front 4

Adaptation

Back 4

process that enables organisms to become better suited to their enviorments.

Front 5

Fossils

Back 5

the preserved remains of ancient organisms

Front 6

Absolute Dating

Back 6

method of measuring rates of decay of radioactive materials to determine how long ago an event occured or an organism lived.

Front 7

Embryo

Back 7

Organism at an early stage of development.

Front 8

Epoch

Back 8

Interval of time in a geologic time scale.

Front 9

Era

Back 9

Largest interval of time in a geologic time scale.

Front 10

Fossil

Back 10

Preserved remains of evidence of an ancient organism.

Front 11

Fossil Record

Back 11

Collection of fossils that represents the preserved collective history of the Earths organisms.

Front 12

Geological Time Scale

Back 12

Record of the history of life determined by the positions of layers of rock.

Front 13

Half Life

Back 13

Length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.

Front 14

Homologous

Back 14

Description of choromosomes that occur in pairs; having a corresponding structure.

Front 15

Period

Back 15

Interval in a geologic time scale that is composed of epochs.

Front 16

Radioactive Element

Back 16

Unstable element that decays into a stable element at a steady rate.

Front 17

Relative Dating

Back 17

Technique used to determine the age of fossils by comparing them with other fossils in different layers of rock.

Front 18

Sedimentary Rock

Back 18

Rock that forms when grains of eroded rock and other materials are carried to the bottom of a body of water and build up under the pressure into layers.

Front 19

Vestigial Organ

Back 19

Structure that serves no useful purpose or function in an organism.

Front 20

Structure

Back 20

*still have to find out*

Front 21

Adaptive Radiation

Back 21

Process, also known as divergent evolution, in which one species gives rise to many species that appear different externally but are similar internally.

Front 22

Analogous Structures

Back 22

Structures that are similar in apperance and structure but have different origins and usually different internal structures.

Front 23

Artificial Selection

Back 23

Technique in which the intervention of humans allows only selected organisms to produce offspring.

Front 24

Convergent Evolution

Back 24

Phenomenom in which adaptive radiations among different organisms produce species that are similar in apperance and behavior; opposite of divergent evolution.

Front 25

Divergent Evolution

Back 25

Pattern of evolution, also known as adaptive radiation, in which one species gives rise to many species that appear different externallu but are similar internally.

Front 26

Equilibrium

Back 26

State in which no net change occurs.

Front 27

Gene Pool

Back 27

Common group of genes shared by members of a population

Front 28

Gradualism

Back 28

Theory that evolutionary change occurs slowly and gradually.

Front 29

Mass Extinction

Back 29

Phenomenom in which many species suddenly vanish

Front 30

Natural Selection

Back 30

Process in nature that results in the most fit organisms producing offspring.

Front 31

Niche

Back 31

Combination of an organisms habitat and it's role in that habitat.

Front 32

Population

Back 32

Collection of individuals of the same species in a given area whose members can breed with one another.

Front 33

Puncuated Equilbria

Back 33

Pattern of long stable periods interupted by brief periods of change.

Front 34

Relative Frequency

Back 34

Number of times an event (allele) occurs compared with the number of times another event (other alleles for the same gene) occurs.

Front 35

Reproductive Isolation

Back 35

Seperation of populations so that they do not interbreed to produce fertile off-spring.