Allen Zhang

P.3/4
3/17/11
AMSAT Biology
Chapter 16 Vocabulary
speciation
the formation of new species as a result of evolution
morphology
the study of the structure and form of an organism
biological species
concept the principle that defines a species as a group of organisms
whose members can interbreed to produce offspring
geographic isolation
the physical separation of populations due to geographic
barriers that prevent interbreeding
allopatric speciation
speciation that occurs when there is a geographic barrier between the population
reproductive isolation
the inability of members of a population to successfully
interbreed with members of another population of the same or
a related species
prezygotic isolation
isolation that occurs before fertilization
postzygotic isolation
isolation that occurs after fertilization
sympatric isolation
2 subpopulations become reproductively isolated within the same geographic area
gradualism
a model of evolution in which gradual change over a long period
of time leads to biological diversity
punctuated equilibrium
a model of evolution in which short periods of drastic change in
species, including mass extinctions and rapid speciation, are
separated by long periods of little or no change