Common Ancestry Vocab

Anatomical Homologies

• Similar anatomical structures that exist between species and can be identified as a link to a common ancestor.

• Structures that are identical in function but different in structure across species.

• Anatomical features that have evolved independently in different species.

• Similarities in behavior among different species that indicate a common ancestor.

Vestigial Structure

• A structure that is fully functional and essential for survival.

• A structure that is inherited from ancestors but has lost much or all of its original function.

• A structure that is newly developed and serves a specific purpose.

• A structure that is found only in certain species and has no evolutionary significance.

Fossil Record

• The study of ancient civilizations through their artifacts.

• The fossils and their locations in the sedimentary layers of Earth's crust, which provide information about things that lived in the distant past.

• A collection of modern animal species and their habitats.

• The process of dating rocks and fossils using radiometric techniques.

Cladogram

• A diagram showing the geographical distribution of species.

• A branched diagram representing a hypothesis about the evolutionary descent of groups of organisms from a common ancestor.

• A chart that lists the characteristics of different species.

• A visual representation of the food chain in an ecosystem.

Molecular Homologies

• Similarities in the DNA and proteins between organisms that result from common ancestry.

• Differences in the DNA and proteins between unrelated organisms.

• Variations in the physical traits of organisms due to environmental factors.

• The study of how organisms adapt to their environments over time.

Genetic Variation

• The process of natural selection in evolution.

• The variety of gene combinations that exist within a population.

• The study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics.

• The random mutation of genes over time.

Biological Evolution

• Inherited genetic changes over several generations in a population.

• A sudden change in an organism's environment leading to immediate adaptation.

• The process of creating new species through artificial selection.

• The study of fossils and their relation to modern organisms.

Homology

• Two characteristics that are similar because they originated from a common ancestor.

• Two characteristics that are similar due to environmental adaptation.

• Two characteristics that are identical in function but different in structure.

• Two characteristics that are unrelated and arise from convergent evolution.

Species

• The broadest category of organism classification.

• A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

• The most specific level of organism classification that contains only one type of organisms.

• A classification that includes multiple types of organisms.

Common Ancestor

• A single organism or species that gives rise to multiple distinct organisms or species through diverging lines of descent.

• An organism that is the result of genetic mutation.

• A species that has gone extinct and left no descendants.

• A type of organism that can only reproduce with itself.