From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Overview of and topical guide to change in the heritable characteristics of organisms
The following
outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to
evolution :
A diagram showing the relationships among various groups of organisms
In
biology , evolution is change in the
heritable
characteristics of
biological organisms over generations due to
natural selection ,
mutation ,
gene flow , and
genetic drift . Also known as descent with modification . Over time these evolutionary processes lead to formation of new species (
speciation ), changes within lineages (
anagenesis ), and loss of species (
extinction ). "Evolution" is also another name for
evolutionary biology , the subfield of
biology concerned with studying
evolutionary processes that produced the
diversity of life on Earth.
Fundamentals about evolution
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Introduction
Basic principles
Macroevolution – Evolution on a scale at or above the level of species
Speciation – Evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species
Natural speciation
Artificial speciation
Hybrid speciation – Form of speciation involving hybridization between two different species
Despeciation – Loss of a species of animal due to its combining with another species
Anagenesis – Gradual evolutionary change in a species without splitting
Extinction – Termination of a taxon by the death of its last member
Microevolution – Change in allele frequencies that occurs over time within a population
Artificial selection – Breeding used to develop desired characteristics
Natural selection – Mechanism of evolution by differential survival and reproduction of individuals
Sexual selection – Mode of natural selection involving the choosing of and competition for mates
Mutation – Alteration in the nucleotide sequence of a genome
Gene flow – Transfer of genetic variation from one population to another
Genetic drift – Concept in genetics
Subfields
History
Evolutionary theory and modelling
See also
Basic principles (above)
Population genetics
Population genetics – Subfield of genetics
Process
Mutation – Alteration in the nucleotide sequence of a genome
Selection – Mechanism of evolution by differential survival and reproduction of individualsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
Gene flow – Transfer of genetic variation from one population to another
Genetic drift – Concept in genetics
Variation
Genetic variation – Difference in DNA among individuals or populations
Genetic diversity – Total number of genetic characteristics in a species
Gene frequency – The relative frequency of a variant of a gene at a particular locus in a population
Polymorphism (biology) – Occurrence of two or more clearly different morphs or forms in the population of a species
Key concepts
Effects of selection
Related topics
Evolutionary phenomena
Modelling
Taxonomy, systematics, and phylogeny
Fundamentals
Taxonomy – Science of naming, defining and classifying organisms
Alpha taxonomy – The discipline of finding, describing, and naming taxa, particularly species
Biological classification – The science of identifying, describing, defining and naming groups of biological organisms
Binomial nomenclature – System of identifying species of organisms using a two-part name
Evolutionary taxonomy – Form of biological classification
Catalogue of life – Online database and index of taxa
Homonym (biology) – Scientific name that is identical in spelling to a name with a different type
Integrated Taxonomic Information System – Authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature – Code of scientific nomenclature for animals
International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants – Code of scientific nomenclature
Linnaean taxonomy – Rank based classification system for organisms
Phenetics – Attempt to classify organisms based on overall similarity
Species 2000 – Federated taxonomic database system for species checklists
Taxon – Grouping of biological populations
Taxonomic rank – Level in a taxonomic hierarchy
Type (biology) – Specimen(s) to which a scientific name is formally attached
Species description – Formal description of a discovered species
Systematics – Branch of biology
Cladogram – Diagram used to show relations among groups of organisms with common origins
Phylogenetic tree – Branching diagram of evolutionary relationships between organisms
Phylogenetics – Study of evolutionary relationships between organisms
Basic concepts of phylogenetics
Phylogenetic tree – Branching diagram of evolutionary relationships between organisms
Phylogenetic network – Graph used to visualize evolutionary relationships, including reticulation events
Long branch attraction – Systematic error in phylogenetics
Clade – Group of a common ancestor and all descendants
Grade – Non-monophyletic grouping of organisms united by morphological or physiological characteristics
Ghost lineage – Phylogenetic lineage that is inferred to exist but has no fossil record
Inference methods
Current topics
Group Traits
Symplesiomorphy – An ancestral character or trait state shared by two or more taxa
Apomorphy – Two concepts on heritable traitsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
Synapomorphy – Two concepts on heritable traitsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
Autapomorphy – Distinctive feature, known as a derived trait, that is unique to a given taxon
Group Types
Monophyly – Property of a group of including all taxa descendant from a common ancestral species
Paraphyly – Type of taxonomic group
Polyphyly – Property of a group not united by common ancestry
Evolution of biodiversity
Origin and evolutionary history of life
Evolution of organisms
Evolution of tetrapods
Evolution of other animals
Evolution of plants
Evolution of other taxa
Evolution of cells, organs, and systems
Evolution of molecules and genes
Evolution of behaviour
Evolution of other processes
Applications in other disciplines
Evolutionary issues
Controversy about evolution
Religious and philosophical views of evolution
Influence of evolutionary theory
Publications and organizations concerning evolution
Books
Journals
Organizations
Evolution scholars and researchers
Prominent evolutionary biologists
See also
External links
General information
Experiments concerning the process of biological evolution
Online lectures