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Chapters 15, 16,& 17- Evolution

Terms in this set (18)

Evolution
Change in a kind of organism overtime; process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms.
Theory
Well- tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations.
Fossil
Preserved remains or evidence of an ancient organism.
Artificial Selection
Selection by humans for breeding of useful traits from the natural variation among different organisms.
Struggle for Existence
Competition among members of a species for food, living space, and other necessities of life.
Fitness
Ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environments.
Adaptation
Inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival.
Survival of the Fittest
Process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called natural selection.
Natural Selection
Process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest.
Descent with Modification
Principle that each living species had descended with changes, from other species over time.
Common Descent
Principle that all living things were derived from common ancestors.
Homologous Structures
Structures that have different mature forms in different organisms but develop from the same embryonic tissues.
Analogous Structures
Look and functions similarly but are made up of parts that do not share a common evolutionary history.
Vestigial Organ
Organ that serves no useful function in an organism.
Natural Variation
A modification in structure form or function in an organism, differing from other organisms in the share species or group.
Radioactive Dating
Technique in which scientists calculate the age of a sample based on the amount of remaining radioactive isotopes it contains.
Embryo
Organism in its early stage of development.
Relative Dating
Method of determining the age of a fossil by comparing its placement with that if fossils
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