EVOLUTION Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EVOLUTION - Term Paper Example Genetic drift on the other hand leads to variation in the gene pool while non-random mating and gene flow results in reduction of differences among populations. 12. Biogeography is concerned with the geographical location of species all over the planet. Related species or species that share common ancestry can be found in different regions with similar climatic conditions. 13. Analogous structures occur due to convergent evolution for instance wings in both insects and birds while homologous structures are similar in anatomy but different in functions such as bat and birds which have pterodactyl wings. Vestigial structures are redundant with no biological importance or use like the ear bones in humans. 14. Embryonic development is important in explaining evolutionary relationships in that related species usually have patterns of embryonic development that resemble one another. Moreover, similar patterns of development are hypothesized as to have only evolved once. 18. Microevolution refers to changes within a genetic pool which results in small changes in an individual while macroevolution is significant changes in individuals resulting in creation of new species. 20. Barriers to reproduction can either be pre or post zygotic isolation mechanisms. In Pre-zygotic isolation, the mechanism occurred before breeding and include; gametic, mechanical and habitat isolations. On the other hand, post reproduction isolation occurs after copulation in includes mechanisms such as hybrid sterility, zygote mortality and non viable hybrids. 21. Allopatric speciation occurs when species are separated by a physical barrier while parapatric speciation takes place when species are not separated by barriers but live on the same area but develop different adaptations due to things such as pollution. On the other hand, sympatric speciation is controversial because it takes place in members within the same geographical location. 25. Cladistic approaches