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Adaptations and Fossils, important paleontological discoveries

Terms in this set (29)

physical adaptation
Something an animal is born with, as part of its body, that helps an animal survive in its environment.
behavioral adaptation
something an animal does that helps it survive
Fossil
The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past
camouflage
A physical adaptation that allows an organism to blend in with its environment.
migration
A behavioral adaptation that animals use to move to a new location when needed.
Defense
a behavioral adaptation that animals do in order to protect themselves by fighting, hiding, or running/flying away.
hibernation
A period of inactivity that some animals experience in winter that allows them to survive on stored body fat
body coverings
physical adaptations like quills or spines that covers an animal's body.
mimicry
Behavioral adaptation that allows one animal to act like another
ecosystem
a community of organisms interacting with their environment
biotic factors
living parts of an ecosystem
abiotic factors
nonliving parts of an ecosystem
extinct
no longer existing
producer
An organism that can make its own food.
consumer
An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms
carnivore
A consumer that eats only animals.
herbivore
A consumer that eats only plants.
omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals
decomposer
An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms
scavenger
A carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms
habitat
Place where an organism lives
food web
A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains
energy pyramid
Shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web
predator
An animal that hunts other animals for food
prey
An organism that is killed and eaten by another organism
According to fossil records, when did the ancestor of all life live?
The ancestor of all life lived at least 3.9 billion years ago
What type of animals emerged from shallow seas?
Animals with backbones emerged in shallow seas near the shore (Tiktaalik)
What was special about Archaeopteryx?
The "first bird" Archaeopteryx really could fly, just not very well
What was special about an extinct bird from Madagascar?
An extinct bird from Madagascar was the largest bird ever to exist
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