| A | B |
|---|
| natural selection | mechanism for change in which organisms with favorable variations live, reproduce , and pass on their favorable traits |
| adaptive radiation | the evolution of an ancestral species into an array of species that occupy different niches |
| punctuated equilibrium | long periods of stable evolution interrupted by geologically brief periods of change |
| vestigial structure | reduced in function in a living organism but may have been used in an ancestor |
| polyploid | any species with a multiple set of chromosomes |
| stabilizing selection | favors average individuals in a population |
| allelic frequency | percentage of a particular allele in a population |
| mimicry | adaptation providing protection for an organism by copying the appearance of another species |
| gene pool | total number of genes present in a population |
| genetic drift | allelic frequencies are altered by chance processes |
