Biodiversity and Evolution Flashcards
(40 cards)
the variety of genes that a species has, including the genetic composition of an individual under a particular species
genetic diversity
the variation of different types of organisms
species diversity
variation of ecosystems including the terrestrial and aquatic ecologies
ecosystem diversity
group of interbreeding organisms of the same kind that gives birth to healthy offspring (fertile)
species
differences among individual members of a population/species; this determines the organism’s ability to tolerate and survive environmental changes
variations
variations lead to _________
adaptation
same structure, same ancestor, different function
homologous structures
same structure, same function, different ancestors
analogous structures
remains or traces of any past life or direct evidence of a past life
fossils
distribution of animals and species
biogeography
developed the binomial system of nomenclature
carolus linnaeus
each species has an ideal structure and function and a place in the scala naturae
fixity of species (carolus linnaeus)
asserted that the earth was 75000 years old and that humans are relative newcomers
georges-louis buffon
father of comparative anatomy and paleontology
baron georges cuvier
former living things may have been wiped out by natural catastrophe
catastrophism (baron georges cuvier)
proposed the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics and theory of use and misuse
jean baptiste de lamarck
individuals within a population with the most favorable traits for an environment survive and pass on those traits
natural selection
a variation that improves an organism’s chance of survival
adaptation
evolution of ancestral species splitting into different species
speciation
gene flow is interrupted by geographic isolation
allopatric speciation
gene flow is interrupted by other means, not geography; species live on the same geographic setting
sympatric speciation
special case of allopatric speciation; one group is smaller than the other
peripatric speciation
adjacent populations evolve into distinct species while maintaining contact along a common border
parapatric speciation
descendants of a common ancestor evolve independently and uniquely
divergent evolution