Origins of Life Vocabulary

Eukaryotic cells evolved when a prokaryotic cell was engulfed by a larger cell.

• Spontaneous generation

• Endosymbiotic theory

• Biogenesis

• Adaptive radiation

A physical barrier that divides one population into two or more.

• Allopatric speciation

• Biogeography

• Sympatric speciation

• Biogenesis

Reduced body parts that have little to no function.

• Vestigial structure

• Analogous structure

• Homologous structure

• Ancestral trait

Parts with similar structure but vary in function.

• Ancestral trait

• Homologous structure

• Analogous structure

• Vestigial structure

Parts with similar structures but vary in function

• Analogous structure

• Ancestral trait

• Homologous structure

• Vestigial structure

Microbes only come from other microbes

• Spontaneous generation

• Biogenesis

• Endosymbiotic theory

• Biogeography

an interval of time covering the formation and development of the earth starting 4.6 billion years ago

• relative dating

• geologic time

• punctuated equilibrium

• law of superposition

the study of the geography and distribution of species throughout geologic time

• Adaptive radiation

• Geologic time

• Relative dating

• Biogeography

Organisms are in a period of no change until a major change results in a rapid speciation until a balance is reached again.

• biogeography

• adaptive radiation

• punctuated equilibrium

• geologic time

One species gives rise to many species in response to a new habitat

• adaptive radiation

• sympatric speciation

• punctuated equilibrium

• allopatric speciation