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Chapter 5 Vocab
vocab
22
Science
7th Grade
02/02/2011

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Term
species
Definition
A group of similar organisms whose members can mate with one another and produce fertile offspring.
Term
adaptation
Definition
A characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment or reproduce.
Term
evolution
Definition
The gradual change in a species over time.
Term
scientific theory
Definition
A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.
Term
natural selection
Definition
The process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than other members of the same species.
Term
variation
Definition
Any difference between individuals of the same species.
Term
fossil
Definition
The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past.
Term
sedimentary rock
Definition
A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together.
Term
petrified fossil
Definition
A fossil in which minerals replace all or part of an organism.
Term
mold
Definition
A fossil formed when an organism buried in sediment dissolves, leaving a hollow area.
Term
cast
Definition
A fossil that is a copy of an organism’s shape, formed when minerals seep into a mold.
Term
relative dating
Definition
A technique used to determine which of two fossils is older.
Term
absolute dating
Definition
A technique used to determine the actual age of a fossil.
Term
radioactive element
Definition
An unstable particle that breaks down into a different element.
Term
half-life
Definition
The time it takes for half of the atoms of a radioactive element to decay.
Term
fossil record
Definition
The millions of fossils that scientists have collected.
Term
extinct
Definition
A species that does not have any living members.
Term
gradualism
Definition
The theory that evolution occurs slowly but steadily.
Term
punctuated equilibria
Definition
The theory that species evolve during short periods of rapid change.
Term
homologous structures
Definition
Body parts that are structurally similar in related species; provide evidence that the structures were inherited from a common ancestor.
Term
branching tree
Definition
A diagram that shows how scientists think different groups of organisms are related.
Term
Where i got it from-
Definition
www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
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