Thanks to Ddraig Goch for the terms.
Evolution - the theory that the various existing
lifeforms are derived from preexisting types through natural selection
DNA
- abbr deoxyribonucleic acid, which occurs in the
nucleus of cells, and is the material that makes up genes
Carnivore
- an animal that eats other animals in order to survive
Herbivore
- an animal that eats plants in order to survive
Omnivore
- an animal that eats both plants and animals in order to
survive
Piscivore - a carnivore that eats
specifically fish in order to survive
Detrivore - an
animal that eats dead plant or animal matter in order to survive
Insectivore
- a carnivore that feeds specifically on insects in order to survive
Frugivore
- a herbivore that feeds mainly on fruit in order to survive
Xylophagous
- an animal that eats wood and plant matter in order to survive
Primary
Consumer - see herbivore
Tertiary Consumer
- see carnivore
Primary/ Tertiary Consumer
- see omnivore
Browser - a herbivore that
feeds on the leaves of trees or shrubs
Grazer - a
herbivore that feeds on grasses
Carrion - the
remains of a dead animal
Biota - the lifeforms
within a specific time or place, eg. the biota of the Jurassic Period
Environment
- the local surroundings
Habitat - the
place, or type of place, where a lifeform naturally grows or lives
Population
- a group of individuals of the same species, that live in one area and
interbreed
Predator - a lifeform that lives by
hunting, killing, and eating other lifeforms
Prey - a
lifeform that is hunted by a predator
Apex Predator -
the top predator in an environment, that is not preyed upon by any
other creature
Biome - a region of distinct
lifeforms, such as the rainforests or oceans
Ecosystem
- a collection of different species living in the same habitat
Migration
- when a species travels to a new location or habitat
Circular
Migration - when a species migrates to a new location for part
of the year, before returning to its original habitat
Partial
Migration - within a species, when one population migrates,
but another doesn't
Epiphyte - a plant that grows
on another plant as structural support, such as a bromeliad. They are
not parasetic.
Zooplantae - lifeforms that exibit
characteristics of both plants and animals - colloquially known as
planimals
Xenobiology - the study of alien
lifeforms. Also known as exobiology
Xenobotany - the
study of alien plants
Bauplan - the bodily design
of a lifeforms, eg number of legs
Endothermic - able
to maitain a constant body temperature regardless of external
conditions
Exothermic - having a body temperature
that depends on the environment
Gene - a section of a
DNA molecule, which determines the physical characteristics of a
lifeform
Genotype - the gene types specific to a
lifeform
Phenotype - the physical atributes the
genotype produces
Aerial - a lifeform that spends
most of its life in the air
Arboreal - a lifeform
that spends most of its' life in the trees
Terrestrial -
a lifeform that spends its life on the ground
Aquatic
- a lifeform that spends its life in a liquid environment
Asexual
Reproduction - a form of reproduction that involves just one
parent
Sexual Reproduction - a form of reproduction
that involves two or more parents
Parthenogenesis - a
form of reproduction in which an egg develops into a fetus without
having to be fertilized
Convergent Evolution - when
two unrelated species evolve similar adaptations, due to similar
environmental pressures
Bilateral Symmetry - a form
of symmetry in which the body consists of two equal halves, on either
side of a midline
Radial Symmetry - a form of
symmetry in which the body is shaped like a wheel, often with the mouth
at the centre
Bipedal - moving on two legs, or
having just two limbs
Quadropedal - moving on four
legs, or having just four limbs
Hexopedal - moving
on six legs, or having just six limbs
Plantigrade - a
creature that moves about on the soles of its feet
Digitigrade
- a creature that moves about on its toes
Unguligrade
- a creature that moves around on hooves
Parasite
- a lifeform that lives on or inside another, and feeds either on the
host, or on the food that the host has swallowed
Hyperparasite
- a parasite that attacks another parasite
Parasitoid
- a lifeform that is parasetic for its infancy, but becomes
free-living during adulthood
Camouflage - clours or
patterns that allow a lifeform to merge with its surroundings
Batesian
Mimicry - when an animal looks like a more dangerous animal in
order to escape predation
Diurnal - active during
the day
Nocturnal - active at night
Crepuscular
- active during twilight hours
Vertebrate - an
animal with a backbone, or spinal chord
Invertebrate
- an animal without a backbone or spinal chord
Colony
- a group of animals , belonging to the same species, that live
together and divide up their tasks in order to survive
Eusocial
- animals, such as termites, that form colonies
Zooid
- an individual in a colony
Gestalt - a species
whose individuals cannot function on their own, but require other
members of their species in order to survive
Symbiosis
- a partnership between two members of different species, in which both
gain
Neotony - species that, in adulthood, retain
the characteristics of their young, such as the axolotl
Atavism
- when characteristics from ancestral species appear in modern
species, often as a freak mutation
Vestigial - an
organ or limb that has atrophied and is now non-functional, eg. the
"arms" of Tyrannosaurus Rex
Sapience -
often defined as wisdom - a term given to "intelligent" species, eg. Homo
Sapiens
Sentience - the ability to sense or
percieve ones' surroundings
Respiration - the
transport of oxygen around the body
Gaiocentrism -
the belief that alien organisms must looks like Terran lifeforms,
because "if it hasn't evolved on Earth, it won't evolve elsewhere".
Xenocentrism
- the belief that alien organisms must be completely to Terran
lifeforms
