adaptive radiation
similar environments
process that occurs when a species
enters a new habitat that has
unoccupied niches and evolves into a
group of new species, each adapted to
one of these niches
bio geography
largest-scale geographic pattern in the
distribution of species and the causes
and history of this distribution
biological diversity
variety of life on earth, genetic diversity,
species diversity, and habitat diversity
biological evolution
change in inherited characteristics of a
population from generation to
generation, which can result in new
species
biome
ecosystem
biotic province
geographic region inhabited by life-
forms of common ancestry, bounded by
barriers that prevent the spread of the
distinctive kinds of life to other regions
and the immigration of foreign species
into that region
competitive exclusion principle
idea that two populations of different
species with the same requirements
cannot persist indefinitely in the same
habitat
convergent evolution
process by which species evolve in
different places or different time and
although they have different genetic
heritages, develop similar external forms
and structures because of adaptation to
divergent evolution
organisms of the same ancestral genetic
heritage migrate to different habitats and
evolve into species with different
external forms and structures but
typically continue to use the same kind
of habitats
dominant species
species that are most abundant in an
area, ecological community, or
ecosystem
ecological island
area that is biologically isolated so that a
species occurring within the area cannot
mix with any other population of the
same species
ecological niche
environmental conditions within which a
species can persist
founder effect
occurs when a small number of
individuals are isolated from a larger
population
gene
single unit of a genetic information
comprising of complex segment of the
four DNA base-pair compounds
genetic drift
changes in the frequency of a gene in a
population because of chance rather
than of mutation, selection, or migration
genotype
genetic makeup that is characteristic of
an individual or a group
migration
movement of an individual, population,
or species from one habitat to another
or more simply from one geographic
area to another
mutation
chemical change in a DNA molecule
symbiont
each partner in symbiosis
symbiosis
interaction between individuals of two
different species that benefits both

natural selection
process by which organisms whose
biological characteristics better fit them
to the environment are represented by
more descendants in future generations
than those whose characteristics are
less fit for the environment
obligate symbionts
symbiotic relationship between two
organisms in which neither by
themselves can exist without the other
parasitism
when one organism lives on or within
another and depends on it for existence
but makes no useful contribution to it
and may harm it
population
group of individuals of the same species
living in the same area or interbreeding
and sharing genetic information
predation
when an organism feed on other live
organisms usually of another species
species
group of individuals capable of
interbreeding
species evenness
the relative abundance of species
species richness
the total number of species in an area