Unit 2.2 Evidence of Evolution

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What is the evidence of evolution?

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Evidence of evolution includes fossil records, comparative anatomy, biogeography, and molecular biology that support the idea that species change over time and share common ancestors.

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What are homologous structures?

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Homologous structures are anatomical features in different species that share a common ancestry, even if they have different functions, such as the forelimbs of humans and whales.

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What are analogous structures?

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Analogous structures are features in different species that serve similar functions but do not share a common ancestry, such as the wings of birds and insects.

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What are vestigial structures?

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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, like the human tailbone.

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What is biogeography?

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Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.

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What does the fossil record show?

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The fossil record provides evidence of the history of life on Earth, showing how species have changed over time and how they are related.

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What is natural selection?

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Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

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What is a common ancestor?

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A common ancestor is a species from which two or more different species have evolved.

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What is the significance of DNA in evolution?

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DNA analysis helps scientists understand the genetic relationships between species, providing evidence for common ancestry and evolutionary changes.

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What is adaptive radiation?

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Adaptive radiation is the process by which a single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments.