| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Adaptation | a trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce |
| Species | group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| Population | a group of organisms of the same species populating a given area |
| Fossil | the remains (or an impression) of a plant or animal that existed in a past geological age and that has been excavated from the soil |
| Fossil Record | information about past life, including the structure of organisms, what they ate, what ate them, in what environment they lived, and the order in which they lived |
| Divergent Evolution | when two or more species sharing a common ancestor become more different over time |
| Convergent Evolution | process by which unrelated organisms independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar environments |
| Vestigial Structure | remnant of a structure that may have had an important function in a species' ancestors, but has no clear function in the modern species |
| Homologous Structure | Structures that are the same in position, structure, and embryological structure |
| Analogous Structure | Structures that have different locations and embryological origins but have the same function |
| Ecological Niche | the functional role and position of a species (population) within a community or ecosystem including what resources it uses how and when it uses the resources and how it interacts with other populationsEcotone |
| Selective Pressure | when the environment pushes an individual or population to adapt or evolve |
| Sediments | loose materials such as rock fragments, mineral grains, and bits of shell that have been moved by wind, water, ice, or gravity |
| Common Ancestor | the shared ancestor of new, different species that arose from one population |
| Trait | specific characteristic that varies from one individual to another |
| Selective Breeding | The process of selecting a few organisms with desired traits to serve as parents of the next generation |
| Artificial Selection | selection by humans for breeding of useful traits from the natural variation among different organisms |
| Natural Selection | process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest |
| Generation Time | the period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next generation |
| Speciation | the evolution of a biological species |
| Reproductive Isolation | separation of species or populations so that they cannot interbreed and produce fertile offspring |
Combine with other sets
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