Intro Evolution and Spontaneous Generation Final Exam Review

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Vestigial structures

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Structures inherited from ancestors that have lost much of their original size and function.

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Directional Selection

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Individuals with one extreme phenotype have higher fitness and have more offspring than individuals with the average phenotype or the other extreme phenotype.

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Natural Selection

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The process by which organisms in nature with variations most suited to their local environment survive and leave more offspring.

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Disruptive Selection

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A type of selection where extreme phenotypes are favored over intermediate phenotypes.

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Adaptations

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Characteristics that increase an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce, which can be body parts, color, or behaviors.

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Common Descent

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The principle that all living organisms share a common ancestor.

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Fitness

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The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.

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Stabilizing Selection

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A type of selection that favors average phenotypes and selects against extreme variations.

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Fossil Record

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The history of life as documented by fossils, providing evidence for evolution.

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Speciation

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The process by which new species arise from existing species.