Evolution Questions & Definitions
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| adaptation |
a characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment |
| species |
a group of organisms that can mate with one another to produce fertile offspring |
| evolution |
the process by which populations accumulate inherited changes over time |
| fossil |
solidified remains or imprints of a once-living organism |
| plate tectonics |
forces that the movement of pieces of the earth's crust around the surface of the planet |
| fossil record |
fossils that provide a historical sequence of life |
| vestigial structure |
the remnant of a once-useful anatomical structure |
| trait |
a quality that can be passed on from 1 generation to another |
| selective breeding |
breeding of organisms that have a certaib desired trait |
| natural selection |
process by which organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce at a higher rate thatn organisms without the favorable trai |
| mutation |
a change in the order of the bases of DNA |
| generation time |
period between the birth of 1 generation and the birth of the next generation |
| speciation |
process by which 2 populations of the same species become so different that they can no longer interbreed |
| extinct |
a species of organism that has died out completely |
| What are the 4 geological time eras? |
Precambrian Time, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, and the Cenozoic Era |
| What are the 3 ways you can compare organisms? |
skeletal structures, DNA and the embyonic structures |
| What kind of rock are fossils found in? |
sedimentary rock |
| 3 types of rock |
metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous |
| Who made observationthat later became the foundations for his theory of evolution by natural selection? |
Charles Darwin |
| What are the 4 steps to Natural Selection? |
Overproduction, Genetic Variation, Struggle to Survive, and Successful Reproduction |
| What are the 3 steps to the formation of a new species? |
seperation, adaptation, and division |
| relative dating |
ordering fossils to estimate their age |
| absolute dating |
the method of measuring the ratio of unstable atoms to stable atoms, whichhelp determine the approximate age of a fossil |
| geolic time scale |
the calendar scientists use to outline the history of life on earth |
| Pangaea |
a single large landmass of the earth |
| What are some possible forces that cause the Earth's crust to move? |
volvanic eruptions and earthquakes |
| hominid |
a human and their human-like ancestors |
| What is similar about hominids? |
they both have an opposable thumb |
| What are different between hominids? |
Their pelvis is different and their arms are longer |
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