How Humans Evolved Boyd And Silk (7th Edition) Chapter 1
1. Adaptations: A feature of an organism created by the process of natural selection
2. Natural Selection: The process that produces adaptation
3. Morphology: The form and structure of an organism; also a field of study that focuses on the form and
structure of organisms
4. Equilibrium: A steady state in which the composition of the population does not change
5. Stabilizing Selection: Selection pressures that favor average phenotypes.
6. Traits: A characteristic of an organism
7. Characters: A trait or attribute of the phenotype of an organism
8. Species: A group of organisms classified together at the lowest level of the taxonomic hierarchy
9. Fecundity: The biological capacity to reproduce.
10. Continuous Variation: Phenotypic variation in which there is a continuum of types.
11. Discontinuous Variation: Phenotypic variation in which there is a discrete number of phenotypes
with no intermediate types
12. Convergence: The evolution of similar adaptations in unrelated species. The evolution of camera-
type eyes in both vertebrates and mollusks is an example of this
13. Placental Mammals: A mammal that gives birth to live young that developed for a period of
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1. Adaptations: A feature of an organism created by the process of natural selection
2. Natural Selection: The process that produces adaptation
3. Morphology: The form and structure of an organism; also a field of study that focuses on the form and
structure of organisms
4. Equilibrium: A steady state in which the composition of the population does not change
5. Stabilizing Selection: Selection pressures that favor average phenotypes.
6. Traits: A characteristic of an organism
7. Characters: A trait or attribute of the phenotype of an organism
8. Species: A group of organisms classified together at the lowest level of the taxonomic hierarchy
9. Fecundity: The biological capacity to reproduce.
10. Continuous Variation: Phenotypic variation in which there is a continuum of types.
11. Discontinuous Variation: Phenotypic variation in which there is a discrete number of phenotypes
with no intermediate types
12. Convergence: The evolution of similar adaptations in unrelated species. The evolution of camera-
type eyes in both vertebrates and mollusks is an example of this
13. Placental Mammals: A mammal that gives birth to live young that developed for a period of
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