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Biology 11
Chapter 13
Term | Definition |
---|---|
evolution | the process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms |
fitness | the physical traits and behaviors that enable organisms to survive and reproduce in their environment |
common descent | idea that species have descended from common ancestors |
adaptation | any inherited characteristic that increases an organisms fitness for survival |
fossils | preserved remains of ancient organisms |
geologic time scale | record of the history of life determined by the positions of layers of rock |
relative dating | technique used to determine the age of fossils by comparing them with other fossils in different layers of rock |
half-life | length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay |
radioactive dating | method of measuring rates of decay |