click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
chapter 13
Change Over Time
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Species | A group of similar organisms that can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring. |
| Adaptation | A trait that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce. |
| Evolution | The process of change over time. |
| Scientific Theory | A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations. |
| Natural Selection | The process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than other members of the same species. |
| Variation | Any difference between individuals of the same species. |
| Homologous Structures | Similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor. |
| Gradualism | Small changes that add up to major changes over a long period of time. |
| Punctuated Equilibrium | When a species evolves during short periods of rapid change and then don'e change much. |