Evolutionary Biology Concepts

Front

Punctuated Equilibrium

Back

A theory in evolutionary biology that describes rapid changes in species separated by periods of little or no change, often due to events like volcanic eruptions or ice ages.

Front

Gradualism

Back

The principle that evolution occurs slowly and steadily over a long period of time.

Front

Homologous Structures

Back

Anatomical features in different species that share a common ancestry, such as the forelimbs of vertebrates.

Front

Vestigial Structures

Back

Reduced structures in an organism that have lost most or all of their original function, such as the hind limbs in whales.

Front

Natural Selection

Back

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Front

Adaptive Radiation

Back

The process in which organisms diversify rapidly into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments.

Front

Speciation

Back

The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.

Front

Convergent Evolution

Back

The process where organisms from different evolutionary backgrounds develop similar traits due to similar environmental pressures.

Front

Divergent Evolution

Back

The process where two or more related species become more dissimilar over time, often due to different environments.

Front

Gene Flow

Back

The transfer of genetic variation from one population to another, which can affect allele frequencies.