Term
|
Definition
| in biology, the ordering of organisms into categories, such as orders, families, and genera, to show evolutionary relationships. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| multicellular animals; a major division of the animal kingdom. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the phylum of the animal kingdom that includes vertebrates. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| animals with segmented bony spinal columns; includes fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| similarities between organisms based on descent from a common ancestor. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| similarities between organisms based strictly on common function, with no assumed common evolutionary descent. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| (homo meaning "same," plasy, meaning "growth") the separate evolutionary development of similar characteristics in different groups of organisms. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a traditional approach to classification (and evolutionary interpretation) in which presumed ancestors and descendants are traced in time by analysis of homologous characters. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an approach to classification that attempts to make rigorous evolutionary interpretations ased solely on analysis of certain types of homologous characters (those considered to be derived characters). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| referring to characters inherited by a group of organisms from a remote ancestor and thus not diagnostic of groups (lineages) that diverged after the character first appeared. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| referring to characters that are modified from the ancestral condition and thus are diagnostic of particular evolutionary lineages. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| relating to specific character states shared in common between two forms and considered the most useful for making evolutionary interpretations. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a chart showing evolutionary relationships as determined by evolutionary systematics. it contains a time component and implies ancestor-descendant relationships. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a chart showing evolutionary relationships as determined by cladistic analysis. it is based solely on interpretation of shared derived characters. no time component is indicated, and ancestor-descendant relationships are not implied. |
|
|
Term
| biological species concept |
|
Definition
| a depiction of spcies as groups of individuals capable of fertile interbreeding, but reproductively isolated from other such groups. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the process by which a new species evolves from a prior species. speciation is the most basic process in macroevolution. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| differences in physical characteristics between males and females of the same species. for example, humans are slightly sexually dimorphic for body size, with males being taller, on average, than females of the same population. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| within species; refers to variation seen within the same species. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| between species; refers to variation beyond that seen within the same species to include additional aspects seen between two different species. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| species defined from fossil evidence, often covering a long time span. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a group of closely related species. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the organization of earth history into eras, periods, and epochs; commonly used by geologists and paleoanthropologists. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the movement of continents on sliding plates of the earth's surface. as a result, the positions of large landmasses have shifted drastically during the earth's history. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the positions of species within their physical and biological environments, together making up the ecosystem. a species' ecological niche is defined by such components as diet, terrain, vegetation, type of predators, relationships with other species, and activity patterns, and each niche is unique to a given species. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a type (subclass) of mammal. during the Cenozoic, placentals became the most widespread and numerous mammals and today are represented by upwards of 20 orders, including the primates. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| categories of the geological time scale; subdivisions of periods. in the Cenozoic, epochs include the Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene (from the Teriatry) and the Pleistocene and Holocene (from the Quarternary). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| having different kinds of teeth; characteristic of mammals, whose teeth consist of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| (endo, meaning "within" or "internal") able to maintain internal body temperature through the production of energy by means of metabolic processes within cells; characteristic of mammals, birds, and perhaps some dinosaurs. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the relatively rapid expansion and diversification of life forms into new ecological niches. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the concept that evolutionary change proceeds through long periods of stasis punctuated by rapid periods of change. |
|
|
