| reproductive isolating mechanism | Any difference that prevents the production of fertile offspring between members of two populations. Necessary for the production of separate species.
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| hominids | "Modern human beings and our ancestors, generally defined as the primates who habitually walk erect. Technically, the members of family Hominidae."
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| speciation | The evolution of new species.
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| macromutations | Mutations with extensive and important phenotypic results. The mutations for sickle cell anemia and Down syndrome are examples.
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| adaptive radiation | The evolution and spreading out of related species into new niches.
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| generalized | Species that are adapted to a wide range of environmental niches. Such species tend to be genetically and physically variable.
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| specialized | Species that are adapted to a narrow range of environmental niches.
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| nocturnal | Active at night.
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| prosimian | "A primate with primitive features, most closely resembling the ancient primates."
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| diurnal | Active during the day.
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| arboreal | Adapted to life in the trees.
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| Darwinian gradualism | "The view, held by Darwin, that evolution is slow and steady with cumulative change."
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| microevolution | Evolutionary change within a single species through time.
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| macroevolution | The branching of new species from existing species.
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| oscillating selection | "Adaptive variation around a norm, rather than in one direction, in response to environmental variation in a species’ habitat."
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| punctuated equilibrium | The view that species tend to remain stable and that evolutionary changes occur fairly suddenly through the evolution of new species branching from existing ones. Compare with Darwinian gradualism.
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| pseudoscience | "Scientifically testable ideas that are taken on faith, even if tested and shown to be false. Scientific creationism is a pseudoscience."
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| scientific creationism | "The belief in a literal biblical interpretation regarding the creation of the universe, with the connected belief that this view is supported by scientific evidence. An example of a pseudoscience."
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| intelligent design | "The idea that an intelligent designer played a role in some aspect of the evolution of life on earth, usually the origin of life itself. Generally, a thinly disguised version of scientific creationism."
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