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Definition
| change in a kind of organism over time; process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms |
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| well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations |
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| preserved remains or evidence of an ancient organism |
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| differences among individuals of a species |
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| selection by humans for breeding of useful traits from the natural variation among different organisms |
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| competition among members of a species for food, living space, and the other necessities of life |
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| ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment |
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| inherited characteristic that increases an organism’s chance of survival |
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| process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called natural selection |
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| process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest |
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| descent with modification |
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| principle that each living species has descended, with changes, from other species over time |
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| principle that all living things have a common ancestor |
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| structures that have different mature forms in different organisms but develop from the same embryonic tissues |
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| organ that serves no useful function in an organism |
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| looks at the similarities and differences between the structures and organization of living things |
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| looks at the similarities and differences in the chemical compounds and processes at work in different organisms |
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| similarities in embryological development suggest common ancestry |
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Definition
| all of the genetic material within a population that can be combined to be passed onto offspring |
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| inheritance of acquired characteristics |
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Definition
| an organism changes itself and passes these new traits on to its offspring |
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Definition
| an organism can choose to increase or decrease the size and shape of an organ by using its body in new ways |
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Definition
| an induced or random change in the DNA of an organism that can lead to changes in expressed traits and variation in the gene pool |
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| group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring |
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