Evolutionary Biology
Core Concepts
- Natural Selection: The differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype.
- Genetic Drift: Random changes in allele frequencies over time, especially in small populations.
- Speciation: The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.
- Adaptation: Heritable characteristics that increase an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.
- Brain Hemispheric Specialization: The evolutionary divergence of functional roles between the left and right cerebral hemispheres, influencing cognitive processing and behavioral adaptation. See Evolutionary Origins and Impact of Brain Hemispheric Specialization.
Key Theories
- Endosymbiotic Theory: Proposes that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from symbiotic relationships between different organisms.
- Neo-Darwinism: Combines natural selection with Mendelian inheritance to explain evolution.
Historical Context
References