study of patterns in the geographic distribution of species and communities
biogeography
scientific study of similarities and differences in body plans
comparative morphology
anatomical feature or behavior that no longer seems to have a purpose in the current form of the organism
vestigial organs/structures
physical evidence of an organism that lived in the ancient past
fossils
degree of adaptation to an environment, as measured by the individual's relative genetic contribution to future generations
fitness
change in a line of descent
evolution
line of descent
lineage
a form of a heritable trait that enhances an individual's fitness
adaptation/adaptive traits
a major mechanism of evolution: the differential survival and reproduction of individuals of a population based on differences in shared, heritable traits; outcome of environmental pressures
natural selection
body structures that are similar in different lineages because they evolved from common ancestor; same bones different functions
homologous structures
evolutionary pattern in which a body part of an ancestor changes differently in its different descendents (homologous)
morphological divergence
different bones same function; evolve in unrelated species because similar environment
analogous structures
evolutionary pattern in which similar body parts (analogous) evolve separately in different lineages
morphological convergence
passing traits from parent to offspring; fundamental idea behind Darwin's theory
descent with modification
genes which regulate the development of anatomical structures in various organisms ex: insects, mammals, plants
homeotic gene
(1800) French zoologist; noticed many fossils look unlike modern species and that Earth's surface changed by a catastrophe
George Curvier
(1809) French naturalist; explains Buffon's ideas by a hypothesis: life evolves through the inheritance of acquired characteristics and an inner drive or need for perfection
Jean Baptiste Lamarck
(1785) English geologist; suggested geological forces that shape Earth's surface are slow and require long periods of time ; came to the conclusion that Earth is millions of years old
James Hutton
proposed that geological processes that shape the Earth today are the same as the past (uniforminism)
Charles Lyell
all living things come from one common ancestor; firm believer in evolution and that all animals evolved from natural selection
Charles Darwin
human welfare, famine, disease would limit growth of population; Darwin read his essay in 1838
Thomas Malthus
(1858) young naturalist who independently developed and proposed the same idea (as Darwin) for evolutionary change through species
Alfred Wallace