Survival or Extinction of a Species over Time Prequiz 4/20/2011
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Created by:
dmoss Teacher on April 5, 2011
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15 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Diversity of Species | Refers to the idea that there are many different kinds of organisms |
| Charles Darwin | English naturalist. He studied the plants and animals of South America and the Pacific islands, and in his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859) set forth his theory of evolution. |
| Extinction | Disappearance of a species from all parts of its geographical range |
| Environment | Everything that surrounds and affects a living thing |
| Adaptation | A characteristic that improves an individual's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment. |
| Species | Groupof similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| Evolution | The process by which species gradually change over time The gradual change in a species over time.Descent with modification |
| Fossil | The trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock |
| Fossil Record | a historical sequence of life indicated by fossils found in layers of the Earth's crust |
| Sedimentary Rock | A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together |
| Homologous Structures | Similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor |
| Natural Selection | Process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest |
| Variation | Any difference between individuals of the same species |
| Scientific Theory | An explanation supported by many tests and observations. A widely accepted idea by most of the scientific community. |
| Scientific Law | A statement that summarizes a pattern found in nature. |
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