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chptr 6 - evolution
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| species | a group of organisms whose members successsfully reproduce among themselves |
| evolution | change in the hereditary features of a species over time |
| natural selection | organisms with traits best suited to their environments are more likely to survive |
| variation | the appearance of an inherited trait that makes an individual different from other members of the same species |
| gradualism | the model that describes evolution as a slow change of one species to another new species |
| punctuated equilibrium | this model shows that rapid evolution of species can come about by the mutation of just a few genes |
| primates | the group of mammals to which monkeys, apes, & humans belong and which share several characteristics, such as opposable thumbs |
| hominid | earliest humanlike primates; ate both meat and vegetables and walked upright on 2 feet |
| Homo sapiens | our own human species; a hominid primate mammal; evolved 300,000 years ago |