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Evolution vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| species | A group of organisms whose members successfully reproduce among themselves. |
| evolution | Changes that occur over time in the hereditary features of a species of organisms. |
| natural selection | Darwin’s theory of evolution, states that organisms best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass their traits to their offspring. |
| variation | The occurrence of an inherited trait that makes an individual different from other members of the same species. |
| fossill | Remains of life from an earlier time. |
| relative dating | Estimating the age of a fossil by comparing it to younger fossils in the rock layers above and to older fossils in the rock layers below. |
| homologous | Body parts in different species that are similar in origin and structure. |
| vestigial structures | A body part that is reduced in size and that has no obvious use. |
| embryology | The study of the development of embryos, which are the earliest stages of an organism's development. |
| homo sapiens | Our own species, a hominid primate mammal; evolved 300,000 years ago. |
| extinction | The dying out of an entire species. |
| endangered species | A species with so few individuals left that it is in danger of extinction. |