| adaptive radiation | The evolution and spreading out of related species into new niches.
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| arboreal | Organisms that are 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. Compare with punctuated equilibrium.
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| diurnal | Active during the day. Compare with nocturnal.
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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. Compare with specialized.
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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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| macromutations | Mutations with extensive and important physical results. The mutations for sickle cell anemia and Down syndrome are examples.
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| nocturnal | Active at night. Compare with diurnal.
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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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| prosimian | A primate with primitive features, most closely resembling the ancient primates.
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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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| punctuated equilibrium | The view that species tend to remain stable and that evolutionary changes occur fairly suddenly. Compare with Darwinian gradualism.
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| 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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| 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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| specialized | Species that are adapted to a narrow range of environmental niches. Compare with generalized.
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| speciation | The evolution of new species.
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education