| Term | Definition |
|---|
| biological evolution | the change in inherited characteristics of a population from generation to generation |
| spontaneous generation (abiogenesis) | the belief that living organisms can develop from non-living things |
| biogenesis | the belief that living organisms arise only from other living organisms |
| august weisman | proved acquired characteristics were not inherited |
| lamarck | developed the theory of "use & disuse" |
| adaptation | the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce in their environments |
| fitness | physical traits and behaviors that enable organisms to survive and reproduce in their environment |
| Charles Lyell | geologist; one of Darwin's major influences |
| Thomas Malthus | economist; one of Darwin's major influences |
| artificial selection | man selects desired traits he is interested in |
| natural selection | environment selects traits that make organisms fit |
| survival of the fittest | survival of those best adapted to the environment |
| result of natural selection | organisms who are better suited their environment |
| factor 1 of natural selection | presence of RANDOM hereditary variation within each species |
| factor 2 of natural selection | tendency of populations to reproduce large numbers of offspring |
| factor 3 of natural selection | competition for the needs of life (food, water, space, shelter, mates,etc.)- or struggle to exist in environmental conditions |
| factor 4 of natural selection | survival of those best adapted to the environment |
| factor 5 of natural selection | The organisms that survive then reproduce |
| factor 6 of natural selection | if environmental conditions change, there may be selection for different traits |
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