Unit 8 Flashcards
(20 cards)
The Linnaean System of Classification
The Linnaean system of classification has seven levels, or taxa. From the most general to the most specific, these levels are kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of naming and classifying organisms.
Genus
includes one or more physically similar species that are thought to be closely related.
Phylogeny
The evolutionary history for a group of species.
Cladogram
A diagram based on patterns of shared, derived traits that shows the evolutionary relationships between groups of organisms.
Molecular Clock
Models that use mutation rates to measure evolutionary time.
Tree of Life
A visual representation that illustrates the evolutionary relationships among different species and groups of organisms.
Biogeography
The study of the distribution of organisms around the world.
Homologous Structure
Features that are similar in structure but appear in different organisms and have different functions.
Analogous Structure
Structures that perform a similar function but are not similar in origin.
Vestigial Structure
Remnants of organs or structures found in an early ancestor that no longer serve a useful function or may now serve a different function.
Convergent Evolution
Evolution toward similar characteristics in unrelated species.
Divergent Evolution
When closely related species evolve in different directions.
Coevolution
The process in which two or more species evolve in response to changes in each other.
Extinction
The elimination of a species from Earth.
Speciation
The rise of two or more species from one existing species.
Reproductive Isolation
When members of different populations can no longer mate successfully.
Behavioral Isolation
Isolation caused by differences in courtship or mating behaviors.
Geographic Isolation
Physical barriers that divide a population into two or more groups.
Temporal Isolation
When timing prevents reproduction between populations.
