Biology - Evolution

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Macroevolution

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Evolutionary change on a grand scale, encompassing the origin of new taxonomic groups, evolutionary trends, adaptive radiation, and mass extinction.

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Stromatolite

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Layered rocks that result from the activities of prokaryotes that bind thin films of sediment together.

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Abiotic Factor

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A nonliving component of an ecosystem, such as air, water, or temperature.

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Abiotic Reservoir

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The part of an ecosystem where a chemical, such as carbon or nitrogen, accumulates or is stockpiled outside of living organisms.

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Protobiont

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An aggregate of abiotically produced molecules surrounded by a membrane or membrane-like structure.

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Ribozymes

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An enzyme-like RNA molecule that catalyzes chemical reactions

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Radiometric Dating

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A method for determining the absolute ages of fossils and rocks, based on the half-life of radioactive isotopes

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Geologic Record

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A time scale established by geologists that divides Earth's history into time periods grouped into three eons - Archaean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic- and further subdivided into eras, periods, and epochs.

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Continental Drift

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A change in the position of continents resulting from the incessant slow movement of the plates of Earth's crust on the underlying molten mantle

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Pangaea

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The supercontinent consisting of all the major landmasses of Earth fused together. Continental drift formed this near the end of the Paleozoic era.

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Permian Extinction

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- 96% of shallow water marine species died
- Cause: extreme vulcanism in Siberia release CO2, warmed global climate, slowed mixing of ocean water, and reduced O2 availability in the ocean

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Cretaceous Extinction

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- 65 million years ago
- 50% of marine species and many terrestrial lineages went extinct
- Cause: Large Asteroid hitting the Yucatán Peninsula
- Bye Bye Dinosaurs

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Adaptive Radiation

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- Increased the Diversity of Life
- A group of organisms forms new species, whose adaptions allow them to fill new habitats and roles in their communities
- A rebound in diversity following mass extinction

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"Evo-Devo"

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The research field that combines evolutionary biology with developmental biology

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Paedomorphosis

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The retention in an adult of juvenile features of its evolutionary ancestors.

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Exaptations

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-Structures that evolve in one context but become co-opted for another function.
-A structure can become adapted to alternative functions; but not determined for the future.

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Phylogeny

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The evolutionary history of a species or group of related species.

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Convergent Evolution

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Adaptive change resulting in nonhomologous (analogous) similarities among organisms. Species from different evolutionary lineages come to resemble each as a result of living in very similar environments.

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Analogy

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The similarity between two species that is due to convergent evolution rather than to descent from a common ancestor with the same trait.

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Systematics

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A scientific discipline focused on classifying organisms and determining their evolutionary relationships.

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Binomial

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A two-part, latinized name of a species; for example 'Homo sapiens'

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Genus

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In classification, the taxonomic category above species; the first part of a species' binomial; for example 'Homo'

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Species

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A group whose members possess similar anatomical characteristics and have the ability to interbreed and produces viable, feritle offspring.

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Linnaean System of Naming Species

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1. Domain
2. Kingdom
3. Phylum
4. Class
5. Order
6. Family
7. Genus
8. Species

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Taxon

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A named taxonomic unit at any given level of classification

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Phylogenetic Tree

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A branching diagram that represents a hypothesis about the evolutionary history of a group of organisms.

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Cladistics

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An approach to systematics in which common descent is the primary criterion used to classify organisms by placing them into groups called clades.

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Clade

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A group of species that includes an ancestral species and all its descendants

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Monophyletic

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-"single tribe"
-Pertaining to a taxon derived from a single ancestral species that gave rise to no species in any other taxa.

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Shared Derived Characters

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An evolutionary novelty that is unique to a particular clade.

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Shared Ancestral Characters

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A character, shared by members of a particular clade, that originated in an ancestor that is not a member of that clade.

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Ingroup

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In a cladistic study of evolutionary relationships among taxa of organisms, the group of taxa that is actually being analyzed.

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Outgroup

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In a cladistic study of evolutionary relationships among taxa of organisms, a taxon or group of taxa known to have diverged before the lineage that contains the group of species being studied.

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Parsimony

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In scientific studies, the search for the least complex explanation for an observed phenomenon (Like Occom's Razor)

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Molecular Systematics

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A scientific discipline that uses nucleic acids or other molecules in different species to infer evolutionary relationships.

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Molecular Clock

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Evolutionary timing method based on the observation that at least some regions of genomes evolve at constant rates.

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Three-Domain System

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A system of taxonomic classification based on three basic groups: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

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Horizontal Gene Transfer

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The transfer of genes from one genome to another through mechanisms such as transposable elements, plasmid exchange, viral activity, and perhaps, fusions of different organisms.

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Homeotic Gene

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A master control gene that determines the identity of a body structure of a developing organism, presumably by controlling the developmental fate of groups of cells.

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Taxonomy

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The branch of biology that identifies, names, and classifies species.