Evolution Review

Front

What is evolution?

Back

The change in a species population over time.

Front

What are homologous structures?

Back

Structures in different species that are similar due to shared ancestry, such as the forelimbs of humans and frogs.

Front

What are analogous structures?

Back

Structures in different species that serve similar functions but do not share a common ancestry, such as the fins of sharks and penguins.

Front

What are derived characteristics?

Back

Traits that are present in an organism but were absent in its last common ancestor.

Front

How many derived characteristics do salamanders and lizards share?

Back

2

Front

What is a cladogram?

Back

A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics.

Front

What does 'survival of the fittest' mean?

Back

A concept that describes the process of natural selection, where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Front

What is the significance of vestigial structures?

Back

Vestigial structures are remnants of organs or structures that had a function in an early ancestor but are no longer functional in the current organism, indicating evolutionary change.

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

The process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more than those that are less well adapted.

Front

What is speciation?

Back

The process by which new and distinct species evolve from a single ancestral species.