| Term | Definition |
|---|
| evolution | a change in characteristics of a population from one generation to the next; the gradual development of organisms from other organisms since the beginning of life |
| natural selection | the process by which individuals have favorable variations and are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do |
| adaptation | the process of becoming adapted to an environment; an anatomical or physiological or behavioral change that improves a population's ability to survive |
| origin | the first stage of existence; ancestry |
| Charles Darwin | wrote Origins of Species; demonstrated that all organisms evolved from common ancestors through natural selection |
| species | a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring; level of classification below Genus and above Sub-species |
| speciation | the formation of a new species as a result of evolution or natural selection |
| phylogeny | the evolutionary history of a species or the taxonomic group |
| phylogenetic tree | branching diagram that shows how organisms are related through evolution |
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