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Changes over Time
Cells & Heredity Ch. 5
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Adaptation | trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce |
| ancestor | similarities in the early development of vertebrates suggest that these animals share a common ______________. |
| Body fossils | also known as preserved remains, are formed when a dead organism is trapped in ice, tar or amber. |
| branching tree | A diagram that shows how scientists think different groups of organisms are related |
| cast | A type of fossil that forms when a mold becomes filled in with minerals that then harden. |
| Charles Darwin | He was a naturalist who studied nature and living things |
| evolution | the gradual change in species over time |
| extinct | A species that does not have any living members |
| fossil record | the millions of fossils that scientists have collected |
| gradualism | a theory proposes that evolution occurs steadily in tiny changes over long periods of time. |
| homologous structure | Body parts that are structurally similar in related species; provide evidence that the structures were inherited from a common ancestor. |
| how most fossils form | organisms that die become buried in sediment |
| If a group is separated from the rest of the species | the main way that a new species forms |
| mold | a type of fossil formed when a shell or other hard part of an organism dissolves, leaving an empty space in the shape of the part |
| natural selection | process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest |
| overproduction | a species creating more offspring that can possibly survive |
| petrified fossils | a fossil formed when minerals replace all or part of an organism |
| punctuated equilibria | the theory that species evolve during short periods of rapid change |
| radioactive dating | A technique used to determine the actual age of a fossil on the basis of the amount of a radioactive element it contains. |
| relative dating | used to determine which of two fossils is older based on the position of fossils in sedimentary rock. The top is younger, the bottom is older. |
| scientific theory | a well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations |
| sediments | particles of soil and rock |
| species | group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| trace fossils | fossils that provide evidence of movements and behaviors of ancient organisms |
| variation | any difference between individuals of the same species. |
| vestigial structures | Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution. |
Created by:
moschiemann
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