Unit 4 List 1 Evolution JGC Flashcards
Amino Acid sequencing
Amino acid sequencing is the process of identifying the arrangement of amino acids in proteins and peptides.
Analogous Structure
Analogous structures are features of different species that are similar in function but not necessarily in structure and which do not derive from a common ancestral feature
Anatomy
a field in the biological sciences concerned with the identification and description of the body structures of living things.
Biochemical evidence
scientists use biochemical evidence (the amino acid sequence of proteins) to establish how organisms have evolved. Hemoglobin, a component of red blood cells, is one of the most widely studied of all proteins.
Biogeography
the branch of biology that deals with the geographical distribution of plants and animals.
Cladogram
Cladograms are diagrams which depict the relationships between different groups of taxa called “clades”. B
Common Ancestry
Ancestral organism shared by two or more descendent lineages — in other words, an ancestor that they have in common.
Descent with modification
Darwin defined evolution as “descent with modification,” the idea that species change over time, give rise to new species, and share a common ancestor.
DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing refers to the general laboratory technique for determining the exact sequence of nucleotides, or bases, in a DNA molecule.
electrophoresis
Electrophoresis is a laboratory technique used to separate DNA, RNA or protein molecules based on their size and electrical charge.
embryo
Early stage in the development of humans and other animals or plants.
embryology
Embryology is the study of development of an embryo from the stage of ovum fertilization through to the fetal stage.
evolutionary tree
visual representations of this branching pattern of evolution.
fossil record
The fossil record is made up of all the fossils that have been found, along with their relative ages.
homologous structure
Homologous structures are similar physical features in organisms that share a common ancestor, but the features serve completely different functions.
homology
similarity of the structure, physiology, or development of different species of organisms based upon their descent from a common evolutionary ancestor.
paleontology
the branch of science concerned with fossil animals and plants.
phenotypic similarity
Phenotypic similarity is a measure of functional redundancy within homologous gene families.
phylogeny
Phylogeny is the representation of the evolutionary history and relationships between groups of organisms.
phylogenetic tree
A phylogenetic tree is a diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms.
vestigial structures
A vestigial structure is a feature that a species inherited from an ancestor but that is now less elaborate and functional than in the ancestor.
sedimentary layers
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth’s surface, followed by cementation.
adaptations
a change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
behavior
the way in which an animal or person acts in response to a particular situation or stimulus.