click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Evolution Chapter
| name | definition |
|---|---|
| Evolution | gradual change in species over time (many generations) |
| mutation | permanent change in the DNA |
| genetic variation | individuals in a population vary from each other. Variations (adaptations) occur randomly by mutations or by reshuffling of alleles during meiosis |
| adaptations | traits(physical or behavioral) that help an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment |
| Natural selection | a process by which individuals which are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than other members of the same species. |
| survival of the fittest | a better adapted organism is able to reproduce and pass on its “fittest” genes to its offspring |
| fossil | remains of life from another time period that are buried in the earth |
| fossil record | timeline of life found in the layers of the Earth’s crust |
| extinction | results when a species does not have traits to survive & so completely dies out. |