TR.VOCAB.4A

EVOLUTION UNIT VOCABULARY CHART

Word / Definition / Root / Visual/Mnemonic Related Words
1. absolute dating / The process of determining a specific date/age of a fossil using radioactive materials
2. adaptation / Inherited characteristic that increases an organism’s survival / adaptare=to fit to
3. analogous structure / Parts of animals that have the same function, but different structure, ex. the wings of a bee and hummingbird / analogos= proportionate
4. ancestor / Relative from which you descended / antecessor=
predecessor
5. artificial selection / When a human selects which organisms breed in order to develop desired traits, ex. improved milk production in cows or disease resistant strains of plants / artes=something made
6. coevolution / Process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other and evolve to fit together better / co=with, together
7. convergent evolution / When distantly related organisms live in similar environments and independently start to develop similar (analogous) structures, ex. the dolphin and shark, have similar fins / convergere=together
8. Darwin / Developed the theory of natural selection which says that the most fit organisms are more likely to survive and reproduce
9. embryo / Organism in its early stages of development, similar embryos indicate a common ancestor
10. eukaryote / Organism that is made up of cells that contains a nuclei / eu=true
kary=cell nucleus
11. evolution / genetic changes in a species over time; slow process of change from one form to another / evolvere=change
12. evolutionary tree / Family or phylogenetic tree which represents organisms who share a common ancestor and shows evolutionary relationships
13. extinction / Disappearance of a species / ex=out, away
14. fossil / Preserved remains or evidence of an ancient organism / fossilis=dug up
15. Galapagos Islands / Where Darwin studied bird populations and developed his theory of natural selection
16. gene pool / Combined genetic information of all members of a particular population
17. genetic recombination / The process by which a strand of DNA is broken and then joined to a different DNA molecule (crossing over) / re=again,
combine=mix
18. half-life / Length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay, how scientists absolutely measure the age of a fossil
19. hierarchy of classification / Way to organize all living things using the following taxonomic categories in order: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
20. homologous structure / Limbs that function differently and look differently on the outside yet have similar internal bone structure, indicates a common ancestor / homo=same
21. Lamarck / Said that organisms evolve in one generation by “will” and these changes are passed on to offspring, ex. giraffes stretched their necks to reach food and then their babies were born with long necks
22. natural selection / Process by which individuals better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest
23. primate / A mammal of the order Primates and includes humans, monkeys, apes, lemurs / primus=first
24. prokaryote / Unicellular organism lacking a nucleus / pro=before
kary=cell nucleus
25. radioactive dating / Technique in which scientists calculate the age of a sample based on the amount of remaining radioactive material it contains
26. relative dating / Method of determining the age of a fossil by comparing its placement with that of fossils in other layers of rock
27. transitional forms / In-between species that link old versions of a species to new, indicates a common ancestor
28. variation / differences that exist between individuals of the same species / vary=different
29. vestigial structure / Structures in an organism that are no longer used; evidence of a common ancestor; ex- human appendix, whale pelvis / vestigium=
footprint

2009 183 Biology Reteaching Resource