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Fossil Record
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| evolution | the process by which changes in plants and animals happen over a very long period of time |
| adaptation | trait that helps an organism to survive and/or reproduce in its unique environment |
| natural selection | organisms that are best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their traits to offspring. Also known as “Survival of the Fittest”. |
| Charles Darwin | English naturalist and geologist, best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory. |
| Galápagos Islands | A series of islands with a diverse population of plants and animals which contributed to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. |
| fossil record | to refer to the total number of fossils that have been discovered, and the information discovered from them. |
| vestigial structure | structures (body parts) that have apparently lost most or all of their function in a species, but still appear in that organism (ex. appendix) |
| Mutation | change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene. |