homologous structures - Structures that have a different mature form but develop from the same embryonic structures. Suggests common ancestry. Example: skeletal structures in a human, cat, whale, bat, evolution - Change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. (Change over time)., fossil - A remnant, impression, or trace of an animal or plant., artificial selection - The intentional reproduction of individuals in a population that have desirable traits by humans. Examples would be dog breeds., struggle for existence - The competition in nature among organisms of a population for food, living space and other necessities, survival of the fittest - Organisms that are the most adapted survive and reproduce most successfully., natural selection - Results in changes in inherited characteristics of a population without human intervention and these changes increase the fitness of the organism. Driving force of evolution., descent with modification - Idea that species today look different than their ancestors because of changes that have built up., adaptation - Any trait that increases an organisms chance of survival. Example: Polar Bears have black skin and nostrils it can close., vestigial structures - Traces of structures that have no apparent function. Example: the pelvic bone present in a whale., analogous structures - Similar features of different animals that have evolved due to convergent evolution. Does not suggest common ancestry. Example: the wing of an insect and a bird., gene pool - All genes that are present in a population., mutation - A random change in allele frequency due to something other than natural selection. Small populations more susceptible., speciation - The formation of a new species., reproductive isolation - when two species are capable of interbreeding but have different courtship rituals or behaviors that stop them. Example: Bowerbirds will not mate without proper mating cues and signals., geographic isolation - Two populations have a physical barrier that keep them from interbreeding. Example: The Galapagos Finches spread out over 13 different islands., gene flow - ny movement of individuals and the alleles that they carry from one population to another.,

Evolution Vocabulary

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