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History of Evolutionary Thought definitions

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  • Natural Selection
    A process where environmental pressures and genetic variation lead to changes in species over generations.
  • Uniformitarianism
    A geological concept stating that Earth's processes occurring today also operated in the past, shaping landforms gradually.
  • Great Chain of Being
    A hierarchical structure historically used to classify all living things, with species viewed as fixed and unchanging.
  • Fossil Record
    Physical evidence preserved in rocks showing extinct organisms and revealing that life has changed over time.
  • Inheritance of Acquired Traits
    A disproven idea suggesting that characteristics gained during an organism's life can be passed to offspring.
  • Genetic Variation
    Differences in DNA among individuals within a population, providing the raw material for evolutionary change.
  • Principles of Geology
    A foundational book by Charles Lyell that influenced Darwin by emphasizing gradual geological change.
  • Galapagos Islands
    A volcanic archipelago where unique species observed by Darwin provided key insights into adaptation and evolution.
  • Wallace Line
    A biogeographical boundary in the Malay Archipelago marking a sharp difference in species between Asia and Australia.
  • Paleontology
    The scientific study of fossils, revealing extinct species and supporting the concept of life's historical change.
  • Adaptation
    A trait shaped by natural selection that increases an organism's fitness in a specific environment.
  • Extinction
    The permanent disappearance of a species, evidenced by fossils and indicating that life forms are not fixed.
  • Species Distribution
    The geographic arrangement of organisms, which provided clues to evolutionary processes for both Darwin and Wallace.
  • HMS Beagle
    The ship on which Darwin traveled, enabling observations that led to the development of evolutionary theory.
  • Marsupials
    A group of mammals, such as kangaroos, whose distribution helped Wallace identify biogeographical patterns.