C2 · 40 words
Evolution in Italian
Variation, selection, inheritance — and the words that impute no purpose.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
The twenty-second entry is l’organo vestigiale, and the adjective is far more literal than it looks. Behind it stands Latin vestigium, which did not mean a leftover or a ruin. It meant the sole of the foot, and then the print that sole presses into soft ground. A vestigial organ is therefore not first of all a spare part that nobody removed. It is a footprint: the mark an earlier use pressed into the body before walking away from it, which describes what the term actually names far better than any word built on « remnant » does. English keeps the same root in a place where nobody looks for it. To « investigate » is investigare, to follow the footprints, to track — so the detective and the vestigial organ are doing one job from opposite ends, the one reading the print forwards and the other backwards. Italian has both words as well, vestigiale and investigare, and it keeps besides the plural le vestigia for what is left standing of a building or a city: the one place where the footprint has turned into masonry.
The words
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Noun (f) (23)
Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno
la variazione ereditariathe heritable variationNoun (f)C2
Senza variazione ereditaria non succede nulla.Without heritable variation nothing happens.
la frequenza allelicathe allele frequencyNoun (f)C2
La frequenza allelica cambia da una generazione all’altra.The allele frequency changes from one generation to the next.
la selezione naturalethe sifting done by survival and offspringNoun (f)C2
La selezione naturale non sceglie, conta soltanto.Natural selection does not choose, it only counts.
la pressione selettivathe selective pressure in natureNoun (f)C2
La pressione selettiva cresce quando il clima cambia in fretta.Selective pressure grows when the climate changes quickly.
la deriva geneticathe change brought about by chance aloneNoun (f)C2
Nei gruppi piccoli la deriva genetica pesa più della selezione.In small groups change by chance alone weighs more than selection.
la barriera riproduttivathe reproductive barrierNoun (f)C2
La barriera riproduttiva può essere solo il periodo di fioritura.The reproductive barrier can be nothing more than the flowering season.
la speciazionethe splitting into two speciesNoun (f)C2
La speciazione richiede tempo e separazione.Splitting into two species takes time and separation.
l’omologiathe homologyNoun (f)C2
L’omologia riguarda l’origine, non la funzione.Homology concerns the origin, not the function.
l’analogiathe analogy in biologyNoun (f)C2
L’analogia nasce da un compito uguale, non da un parente comune.Analogy arises from an equal task, not from a common relative.
la convergenza evolutivathe convergent evolutionNoun (f)C2
La convergenza evolutiva produce ali in gruppi lontanissimi.Convergent evolution produces wings in groups very far apart.
la selezione sessualethe sexual selectionNoun (f)C2
La selezione sessuale può favorire tratti scomodi.Sexual selection can favour awkward traits.
la selezione parentalethe kin selectionNoun (f)C2
La selezione parentale rende comprensibile l’aiuto ai fratelli.Kin selection makes help given to siblings understandable.
la fitness inclusivathe inclusive fitnessNoun (f)C2
La fitness inclusiva somma anche i discendenti dei parenti.Inclusive fitness also adds up the descendants of relatives.
la corsa agli armamentithe arms race between speciesNoun (f)C2
La corsa agli armamenti tra pianta e insetto non finisce mai.The arms race between plant and insect never ends.
la coevoluzionethe coevolutionNoun (f)C2
La coevoluzione lega il fiore al suo impollinatore.Coevolution binds the flower to its pollinator.
la mutazione neutrathe neutral mutationNoun (f)C2
Una mutazione neutra non cambia nulla di visibile.A neutral mutation changes nothing visible.
la documentazione fossilethe fossil recordNoun (f)C2
La documentazione fossile è piena di buchi.The fossil record is full of holes.
la forma di transizionethe transitional formNoun (f)C2
Ogni forma di transizione è anche una specie a sé.Every transitional form is also a species in its own right.
l’estinzione di massathe mass extinctionNoun (f)C2
Dopo un’estinzione di massa i posti liberi si riempiono in fretta.After a mass extinction the free places fill up quickly.
la radiazione adattativathe fanning out of a groupNoun (f)C2
La radiazione adattativa riempie un ambiente vuoto.The fanning out of a group fills an empty habitat.
la plasticità fenotipicathe phenotypic plasticityNoun (f)C2
La plasticità fenotipica cambia la forma senza cambiare i geni.Phenotypic plasticity changes the shape without changing the genes.
l’eredità epigeneticathe epigenetic inheritanceNoun (f)C2
L’eredità epigenetica dura poche generazioni.Epigenetic inheritance lasts a few generations.
la selezione artificialethe artificial selectionNoun (f)C2
La selezione artificiale lavora molto più in fretta.Artificial selection works much more quickly.
Noun (m) (17)
Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno
il trattothe traitNoun (m)C2
Il tratto compare solo in una parte della popolazione.The trait appears only in part of the population.
l’allelethe version of a geneNoun (m)C2
L’allele raro sparisce in poche generazioni.The rare version of a gene disappears within a few generations.
il patrimonio geneticothe gene pool of a populationNoun (m)C2
Il patrimonio genetico dell’isola è più povero.The gene pool of the island is poorer.
il successo riproduttivothe reproductive success in the technical senseNoun (m)C2
Il successo riproduttivo si misura sui nipoti, non sui figli.Reproductive success is measured on the grandchildren, not on the children.
il vantaggio selettivothe selective advantageNoun (m)C2
Un piccolo vantaggio selettivo basta, se il tempo è lungo.A small selective advantage is enough, if the time is long.
il preadattamentothe pre-adaptationNoun (m)C2
Il preadattamento spiega perché una struttura serve poi ad altro.Pre-adaptation explains why a structure later serves something else.
l’effetto del fondatorethe founder effectNoun (m)C2
L’effetto del fondatore lascia tracce per secoli.The founder effect leaves traces for centuries.
il collo di bottiglia geneticothe crash in population sizeNoun (m)C2
Dopo il collo di bottiglia genetico restano poche varianti.After the crash in population size few variants are left.
il flusso genicothe gene flowNoun (m)C2
Il flusso genico tra le due valli si è interrotto.The gene flow between the two valleys has been cut off.
l’antenato comunethe common ancestorNoun (m)C2
L’antenato comune non è nessuna delle due specie viventi.The common ancestor is neither of the two living species.
l’albero filogeneticothe family tree of speciesNoun (m)C2
L’albero filogenetico si legge dai rami verso la radice.The family tree of species is read from the branches towards the root.
l’organo vestigialethe vestigial organNoun (m)C2
Gli organi vestigiali sono resti di un uso passato.Vestigial organs are the remains of a past use.
l’altruismo animalethe altruism among animalsNoun (m)C2
L’altruismo animale finisce dove finisce la parentela.Altruism among animals ends where kinship ends.
il tasso di mutazionethe mutation rateNoun (m)C2
Il tasso di mutazione è basso ma costante.The mutation rate is low but steady.
l’orologio molecolarethe molecular clockNoun (m)C2
L’orologio molecolare dà una data approssimativa.The molecular clock gives an approximate date.
il vincolo evolutivothe evolutionary constraintNoun (m)C2
Il vincolo evolutivo spiega perché certe soluzioni non compaiono.The evolutionary constraint explains why certain solutions never appear.
il linguaggio finalisticothe purposive languageNoun (m)C2
Il linguaggio finalistico si insinua in ogni riassunto.Purposive language creeps into every summary.
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This list belongs to Natural sciences — 36 lists and 1 287 words that can also be practised as a whole.