| Term | Definition |
|---|
| modification | change (usually an improvement) |
| artificial selection | process where humans selectively breed organisms to obtain a certain phenotype |
| natural selection | process where individuals best suited to the environment survive and reproduce |
| fitness | measurement of an individuals ability to survive and reproduce |
| ancestor | early type of organism from which others have evolved |
| descendant | modern individual related to an older individual |
| evolution | process by which living organisms are thought to have developed from earlier forms |
| adaptation | changes made by an individual to help them survive |
| acquired trait | adaptation that cannot be passed on to one's offspring |
| genetic trait | trait that can be passed on to one's offspring |
| selective pressure | when the environment pushes an individual or population to adapt or evolve |
| adaptive radiation | evolutionary process that creates groups of distinct but related species that are well suited to their respective environments |
| divergent evolution | when two or more species sharing a common ancestor become more different over time |
| convergent evolution | when two or more species NOT descended from a common ancestor develop similar traits |
| homologous structures | body structures that are modifications of the same ancestral form |
| analogous structures | body structures that have evolved separately to perform the same function |
| Charles Darwin | scientist who proposed that evolution occurs due to natural selection |
Combine with other sets
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